women in the military
A group has been formed on Face Book for the purpose of stopping sexual assaults against military women by military men. http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=95139620834 . Here's what they say on their web page:
Congresswoman Louise Slaughter (D-N.Y.) has reintroduced the Military Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Response Act (H.R.840), which would enhance programs of prevention and deterrence, improve victims' services and strengthen provisions for prosecution of assailants. It establishes a Victims' Advocate Office within the DoD which will be responsible for assessing the sexual assault services currently provided. It calls for the employment of a sexual assault nurse examiner, psychiatrist, and clinical team at each DoD treatment facility. And for our returning soldiers, it ensures that Veterans Affairs primary care providers receive training in the screening and referral of veterans who have suffered military sexual trauma. Creating a real treatment and support structure are critical, because too often, victims are directed toward treatment options that in reality do not exist for them.
Crucially, the bill would also prohibit anyone from interfering with the reporting and investigation of sexual assault claims and would protect survivors from retaliation. The bill also directs a military commanding officer who receives a qualifying complaint alleging such violence to investigate and report it, so that perhaps one day women will Stop sexual assaults against our military women by our military men.
The following is an excerpt from A Column by NOW President Kim Gandy:
A female soldier in Iraq is more likely to be raped by a fellow soldier than killed by enemy fire. A 2008 Veterans Administration study finding that one in seven female veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan seeking medical care from the VA (Office of Veterans Affairs) had suffered sexual trauma.
As if these numbers weren't shocking enough, a recent Department of Defense (DoD) report on sexual assault in the military documented over 2,900 reported cases in 2008 alone -- an increase of eight percent over 2007 reports. For troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, reported cases increased 26 percent over the previous year. Perhaps most disturbing of all is the minuscule number of documented assaults referred for trials and courts martial.
And this is just for reported cases. By the Pentagon's own admission, an estimated 80 percent of rapes are never reported.
not only will these servicewomen get no support, they will often jeopardize their own careers -- and sometimes their personal safety -- for the sake of standing up against criminal behavior.
When a woman in the military reports a rape or sexual crime, she is often asked why she would want to destroy the military career of her rapist -- excuse me, fellow soldier -- by holding him accountable for his crime.
Too often, military men side with the rapist, leaving the victim without support and without recourse.
One anonymous female commented on this subject wrote:
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