A new documentary sheds light on the military’s biggest cover-up—the rampant sexual assault of both female and male service members. One frightening statistic: Women who’ve been sexually abused in military service have a higher incidence of PTSD than men who’ve been in combat.
Read Ending military rape: The crusade of “The Invisible War,” on Salon.com.
Link supplied by a Lovefraud reader.
Donna, thank you so much for bringing this ugly, nasty issue to light.
Ever since women have been accepted into military positions, they have been faced with all manner of abuses, and being raped by one’s own unit members is very, very common.
It’s common because it is, indeed, an “invisible war.” It’s invisible because it’s allowed, accepted, and just about encouraged.
I imagine that the PSTD is worse for women because they were damaged by the very same people that they were expected to TRUST WITH THEIR VERY LIVES. Then, when they report these people that they were expected to trust with their very lives, they’re dismissed, ridiculed, and blamed for their attacker’s actions by the very entities that demanded that they TRUST their comrades. All for simply being a female. In the military, there is no remedy for this crime – it’s just “boys being boys,” and “Well, if you didn’t have breasts, this wouldn’t have happened.”
Again, thank you for this article. It’s nauseating, to be sure, but it’s a VERY important topic.
You know what strikes me as absurd?
They’ve made such a big deal about gays being in the military, because God only knows what horrible things they might be doing (having sex with each other?,) but the rapes that go on? That’s acceptable. Why? Because it’s heterosexual?
I doubt it’s heterosexual in all cases since a lot of these rape reports include men being assaulted.
Rape isn’t about sex anyway. It’s about violence, power, and control.
There are a great many different cultural things going on with this….and I doubt that it will ever be stopped or that there will stop being cover ups. There is the macho-male thing, and women being out of place in the fighting units, etc etc ad nauseum!
In addition you have all these young, hyper sexual males living in an atmosphere of violence and “macho” and it’s gonna happen. Period. Until the military gets mega serious and prosecutes these rapes for what they are VIOLENCE! Then they will continue unabated. If they do prosecute them the number will decrease, but Idoubt it is going to totally cut it out. After all the military is filled with humans….and there are some of those that are psychopaths….and we know what psychopaths do don’t we?
OxD, the military is a hotbed of sociopathology. I come from a VERY long line of military, and there are some superior commissioned officers, warrant officers, and enlisted personnel. But, they are in the minority, especially in “elite” units.
For instance, fighter pilots are conditioned to be above EVERYONE in ability, intellect, physical prowess, and problem-solving. They are conditioned this way so that they make “good decisions” in times of extreme stress. Okay – they need to have the ability to make decisions under pressure. But, the conditioning process has a VERY nasty by-product and that is a foundation of complete self-absorbtion.
The whole military system is completely MACHO and is actually “encouraged” to express that machismo. From drinking like fish to raping their female comrades, the machismo is rampant and completely in conflict with Branch mottos that suggest loyalty, fealty, honor, and courage.
I don’t know how this culture could ever be altered from what it is, today. It’s so ingrained that I can’t imagine how it could be changed.
I heard that certain CIA agents are selected because they are sociopaths. They want people who will not be bothered by needing to kill somebody. In other words, they send trained operatives in to kill targeted individuals.
Remember that convention where the women were passed down a line to be groped? Tailhook?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tailhook_scandal
G1S, it would be foolish to believe that high-level agencies wouldn’t employ sociopaths. Not just about killing people, but covert assignments require MANIPULATION of people’s minds to work their ways in to desired situations. It is VERY insidious and a very, very dark aspect of ANY government.
Yes, I remember Tailhook, very well – it was a strong topic for a long while and the male family members (military, all of them) excused the officers’ behaviors by saying that “these women follow these events and they know what it’s all about.” This was from my own family members! Like the women went to this event JUST so they could be manhandled and abused? REALLY? So, you see the mind-set.
Truthy, the Wikipedia article that I posted about it has very interesting comments.
Sometimes I don’t think we’ve advanced very far since the Neanderthals.
The US Air Force is conducting an investigation right now.
They’re thinking it might be limited to only one squadron. Right. At least they removed the guy in command.
http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/air-force-dozens-recruits-targeted-sex-assault/story?id=16678457
Yea, I remember Tail hook….and several others that were along that line…
My divorced husband’s father was a master chief in the Navy, and thought he was GOD on a stick! He was the P that did every thing he could to leave me and my children homeless and broken. Even stole our dog.
I could go on and on about his military bearing and career and P-ness, but yes, I agree that there are many Psychopaths in the military, and in law enforcement, and other careers where psychopathy is a benefit….like killing others or being in control.
I can’t imagine why any gay person would want to be in the military, because I think they will get covert abuse, and possibly rape. Ditto women.
Most people who enlist make that choice as a last resort – they have no prospects of a “future,” and Recruiters are VERY good at promising false assurances and bonus options.
Commissioned Officers are given an education in trade for a commitment of several years service. During that time, health care, housing, and other prestigious perks are provided with a VERY healthy and steady paycheck.
The Coast Guard is probably the least evil of all, as those men and women put their lives on the line to save others – but the USCG is also involed in law enforcement.
Pppppppffffffffft…………