Is the Military Doing Enough to Combat Sexual Assault?

It’s An Epidemic

Alright, ladies and gents, let’s tackle this sensitive topic head-on. The sexual assault epidemic in the US military is no joke. In fact, the stats are downright alarming. According to a 2020 Pentagon report, a whopping 8,866 service members reported some form of sexual harassment or assault in just the previous year.

Now, let’s get to the extreme cases. We’re talking about incidents like the Tailhook scandal of 1991, where over 100 women were physically and verbally assaulted by military personnel at a convention. Or the recent case of Vanessa Guillen, a soldier who was murdered at Fort Hood after reporting sexual harassment. These are just two examples of many that show the pervasive and insidious nature of sexual assault in the military.

As for the more recent ones, we will look at Lauren King’s experience with sexual assault as an ROTC member. King was sexually assaulted by a male cadet while attending a summer training program in Colorado Springs, Colorado. She eventually left ROTC due to her trauma from the incident and now advocates for survivors of military sexual trauma.

“I had this dream to be in the military. … I felt like I couldn’t work toward those goals because of what I was dealing with,” King told USA Today. “These things still impact me today: Being afraid of guys or being afraid to get close to people, (and) seeing the worst in people.”

The next case is that of Sgt. Jennifer Norris, who was raped by another soldier while serving in Iraq. At first, Norris did not report the rape for fear of being met with disbelief from her superiors and facing retaliation for speaking out about her experience. She eventually filed a lawsuit against the Army for its failure to protect her from sexual assault and won $3 million in damages.

“I didn’t report that crime, and here is why. I could not face that it happened. I didn’t want to start out my military career like that, and so I determined that I would never talk about it to anyone. From that day forward, I avoided the recruiter at all costs and soldiered on. I have never seen him since.”

And for the Sgt. Norris, this is not the only time this happened.

“I was assaulted a second time at Keesler Air Force Base after Basic Training by my instructor. I was attending Satellite and Wideband Communications technical school. I was there for 6 months. While there, I learned very quickly that if you reported sexual harassment, assault, or were offended by someone’s lewd and crude remarks that you will be quickly turned out of the Air Force. So, I planned to get through it, go back home and serve with the Maine Air National Guard, where I thought I would be safe. I just sucked it up and kept my mouth shut so I could graduate. I watched an Active Duty Air Force female, who to this day is one of my best friends, get swiftly booted from the military, after she reported that one of her instructor’s made derogatory remarks to her during class. This girl was 19 years old. The military training managers engaged in what appeared to be a witch-hunt and looked for anything and everything to kick her out. In the end, they were successful. Today she suffers severe PTSD from this experience.”

The last case we will look at is that of former Marine Lance Cpl. Elle Helmer, who was sexually assaulted by two fellow Marines while stationed in Okinawa, Japan, in 2013. Helmer reported the incident but felt like she wasn’t taken seriously by her superiors or given proper support during her recovery process. She eventually left the Marines after suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as a result of her experience with military sexual trauma (MST).

Her promising career ended just like that. After reporting the incident, the Naval Criminal Investigative Services said that they couldn’t move forward with the case simply because she was unconscious when it happened.

“I said isn’t that the definition of rape? When someone violates you without your consent?” she said.

These three extreme cases demonstrate how traumatic experiences with military sexual trauma can be for victims and how difficult it can be for them to receive justice or support after reporting their assaults. The consequences of these incidents can be long-lasting and devastating for victims, both emotionally and physically, yet many are still reluctant to come forward due to fear of retribution or disbelief from their superiors.

Protect Our Women, Protect Our Troops

So, what can the military do to improve and protect its troops? First and foremost, we need better prevention efforts. This means not only educating service members on what constitutes sexual assault and harassment but also holding leaders accountable for creating a culture of respect and zero tolerance for such behavior.

Additionally, the military must improve its response to sexual assault reports. Too often, victims are met with disbelief, victim-blaming, and retaliation. We need a system that prioritizes victims’ needs and provides them with the resources and support they require. This includes better access to medical care, mental health services, and legal assistance.

Finally, we need to hold perpetrators accountable. Too often, those who commit sexual assault and harassment in the military receive little to no punishment. This sends a message that such behavior is acceptable. We must ensure that those who violate their fellow service members are held responsible for their actions.

The military also introduced the teal ribbon as a national symbol of support for victims of sexual assault and created the Sexual Harassment/Assault Response Program (SHARP). However, it is clear that much more needs to be done to ensure that servicemembers are protected from sexual violence and can access adequate support when required.

“Sexual assault is an abhorrent violation of an individual’s basic dignity. Over the last 15 years, the Department has enacted new policies and built new infrastructure to address sexual violence, including an integrated violence prevention approach developed in consultation with subject matter experts,” said Dr. Elizabeth Van Winkle, Executive Director of the Office of Force Resiliency. “However, the programs and policies we put into place will not be effective unless every military member and leader – at all levels – comply with our policies and embody the values we espouse. As directed by Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, the Department is taking immediate actions to not only counter these corrosive behaviors, but also provide better visibility on the ground to ensure all members are doing their part to eliminate these behaviors.”

Several organizations have been created to provide support services for survivors of MST, such as RAINN (Rape Abuse & Incest National Network), Protect Our Defenders, Service Women’s Action Network (SWAN), and Veterans Affairs Mental Health Services (VAMHS). These organizations offer resources such as counseling services, legal assistance, advocacy programs, helplines, education initiatives, etc., all aimed at helping survivors cope with their experiences and find justice if needed. Additionally, there have been efforts made within the US Military itself to address issues surrounding MST, such as implementing mandatory training programs on preventing sexual violence among service members or creating task forces dedicated solely to investigating reports of MST within each branch of service.

While progress has undoubtedly been made over the years towards addressing issues surrounding MST within the US Military, there is still much work left to be done before true justice can be achieved for victims like Lauren King, Sgt Jennifer Norris, or Elle Helmer who have suffered so much because of these crimes committed against them while serving their country honorably.

We must take action now to combat sexual assault in the military. We must ensure that those who have suffered this kind of violence are given the help they need to recover and that perpetrators are held accountable for their actions. It is only by doing so that we can create an environment where all servicemembers feel safe and respected.

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Read “Surviving Military Sexual Trauma In My Own Words” by Michelle F. Capucci to get an insider’s take on the horrors of surviving sexual assault in the military.