Friendly fire in Afghanistan has taken a tremendous toll on our troops, psychologically, emotionally, and physically. The same could be said of another form of assault coming from within our own troops. According to a report recently released by the Department of Veterans Affairs, of those women sent to Afghanistan or Iraq, approximately one out of two report being sexually harassed and one out of four report being sexually assaulted.
This data comes from anonymous surveys completed by women who have been deployed. Many report that they were victimized by officers in their own units, officers who held a higher rank. Not surprisingly, the data reflects a much higher incidence of sexual harassment and assaults than data collected by branches of the armed forces. This, on top of data released this month that sexual assaults at the service academies are at an all-time high.
Where is the public outcry? Where is the accountability? Where are the high-profile congressional investigations? Why isn’t this story making headlines? The answer lies with the leadership, or I should say, the absence of leadership in the service academies, military and government. The lack of outcry is partly because this is the new norm. It is a pattern, that is seemingly endemic to the sexist culture of the military.
What we have here is a travesty. Moreso, it is an issue that undercuts our defense. If females, and for that matter male service members, cannot focus entirely on the job before them, then we are putting our military and its mission and goals at risk. And if women cannot find a safe haven in war zones, what does that say about our society, our values, our ethics, and our leaders, starting at the very top?
Sadly this issue all boils down to class. The military is the refuge of the lower-working class particularly in the enlisted ranks where most of this horrific abuse takes place. Economic necessity drives women into the hands of these scoundrels. The military is not a democracy and some sincere top down actions of consequence would go a long way in rectifying this situation. At least this is a theoretical solution. There are too many “skeletons” in closets for this solution to be practically applied. Diversity consciousness raising at an early age is the way to go for the future. We most likely will have to let the dead bury the dead in this instance.