Sexual Assaults on Female Soldiers: Don't Ask, Don't Tell
- When you look at the entire universe of female veterans, close to a third say they were victims of rape or assault while they were serving — twice the rate in the civilian population.
- Sexual assault in military 'jaw-dropping,' congresswoman says
- We're still not doing right by our vets
Nancy Gibbs, Time
Submitted by Evergreene Digest Contributing Editor Bob Heberle
What does it tell us that female soldiers deployed overseas stop drinking water after 7 p.m. to reduce the odds of being raped if they have to use the bathroom at night? Or that a soldier who was assaulted when she went out for a cigarette was afraid to report it for fear she would be demoted — for having gone out without her weapon? Or that, as Representative Jane Harman puts it, "a female soldier in Iraq is more likely to be raped by a fellow soldier than killed by enemy fire."
The fight over "Don't ask, don't tell" made headlines this winter as an issue of justice and history and the social evolution of our military institutions. We've heard much less about another set of hearings in the House Armed Services Committee. Maybe that's because too many commanders still don't ask, and too many victims still won't tell, about the levels of violence endured by women in uniform.
Related:
Sexual assault in military 'jaw-dropping,' congresswoman says, CNN
- "We have an epidemic here," she said. "Women serving in the U.S. military today are more likely to be raped by a fellow soldier than killed by enemy fire in Iraq."
- Hearing prompts allegations of "cover-up" after top Defense official doesn't show
- Mom of slain pregnant soldier: Victim shouldn't have burden to "generate evidence"
We're still not doing right by our vets, Peter Erlinder, Star Tribune | MN
The two sides of our nation's "schizophrenic" approach to recognizing the special needs of military veterans were on display in stories last week (Jan 4-10) in the Star Tribune (MN).
