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Sexual Harassment in the Military

by TChris

It's hard enough to be a soldier in an environment that makes it difficult to identify the enemy. It's all the more difficult for women, who have to defend themselves not just from enemy attacks, but from men who are supposed to be on their side.

The number of sexual assaults of female soldiers is hard to pin down, in part because the crime frequently goes unreported. The numbers are nonetheless disturbing.

Defense Department numbers show that from August 2002 through October 2004, 118 cases of sexual assault on military personnel were reported in Iraq, Kuwait and Afghanistan. But the Miles Foundation, a nonprofit organization that helps victims of military domestic violence and sexual assault, reports that it was contacted by 258 military assault victims in the combat theater during that same time span. That number rose to 307 through mid-February, according to the foundation.

According to an investigation by The Sacramento Bee, the problem extends beyond rape.

Though publicity about sexual misconduct in the war zone has focused on rape, female soldiers said unwelcome advances, demeaning comments - and a feeling that being alone around male comrades in arms meant being unsafe - were far greater concerns.

When women dare complain, they face retaliation.

Gina pushed back, challenging what seemed to be accepted behavior and filing a complaint against her tormentor. The result was the end of her four-year Army career and a lingering fear that her accused would pursue her even in civilian life - a fear so intense she asked that her real name not be used.

The military says it's trying to address the problem, but the sincerity of that commitment is open to question.

Critics of the military's attitudes point to problems that range from a shortage of rape examination and HIV testing kits in the war zone to encouraging women to use an injectable contraceptive called Depo-Provera so they won't menstruate during their tour.

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    Re: Sexual Harassment in the Military (none / 0) (#1)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Mon Mar 07, 2005 at 08:30:20 AM EST
    That is the reason why you don't have woman inside male units, no one back 40 years ago would have allowed that, when i was in the Army you counldn't talk to a famale who was part of a wac unitm without having someone around you. Guy will go nut's and woman will be woman, and i am against woman in any part of the military, woman have kids men do not, and what is the point of a culture that allows woman to be killed in combat? or raped inside the system?

    Re: Sexual Harassment in the Military (none / 0) (#3)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Mon Mar 07, 2005 at 09:11:53 AM EST
    The men who feel that women shouldn't be in the military if they can't deal with being harrassed by men - are they the same men who can't bear to have gays anywhere near them for fear of the much more remote possibility that they might be harrassed?

    Re: Sexual Harassment in the Military (none / 0) (#4)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Mon Mar 07, 2005 at 09:48:25 AM EST
    Was it Bobby Knight who said that if a woman was going to be raped, she may as well just lay back and enjoy it? I don't remember.

    Re: Sexual Harassment in the Military (none / 0) (#5)
    by Patrick on Mon Mar 07, 2005 at 09:59:13 AM EST
    Dadler, I doubt the gay population in the military is massive, but can you support that? Unless you define massive different than the rest of us.

    Re: Sexual Harassment in the Military (none / 0) (#6)
    by scarshapedstar on Mon Mar 07, 2005 at 10:01:39 AM EST
    Patrick, I imagine he means massive as in "Greater than 100,000 individuals." Just out of curiosity, though, what was your point?

    Re: Sexual Harassment in the Military (none / 0) (#7)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Mon Mar 07, 2005 at 10:01:47 AM EST
    I Love it!!!! this is so much fun, still woman are woman, and guys need families and not military rape and not the woman with the gun on the hill or by the gate. long live my mother at home and with my father by the gate with the gun(155 mm) its all about civilization and all about how i see this world and how you see it, your coming third world of nothing but murder and rape and death that is what this government and its stupid people want and what will happen.

    Re: Sexual Harassment in the Military (none / 0) (#8)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Mon Mar 07, 2005 at 10:09:18 AM EST
    massive: a large enough number that it requires "don't ask; don't tell". if gays are 10-15% of the population and @ 2m active duty personnel, so the number looks closer to @ 250g. is that massive? stop your cheerleading.

    Re: Sexual Harassment in the Military (none / 0) (#9)
    by Patrick on Mon Mar 07, 2005 at 10:15:34 AM EST
    Anon, That assumes equal ratios between the general population and the military population. Do you believe that? If so is it then true for other socio-economic groups as well? Stop cheerleading yourself.

    Re: Sexual Harassment in the Military (none / 0) (#10)
    by Dadler on Mon Mar 07, 2005 at 10:24:14 AM EST
    patrick, gay men in the military is an entire subculture unto itself, and has been for a long time. http://college.hmco.com/history/readerscomp/mil/html/mh_019800_gaysinthemil.htm http://www.gayscape.com/mil.html come on, bro, let's just be honest. the military itself is a subculture. and all-male one largely. put two and two together.

    Re: Sexual Harassment in the Military (none / 0) (#11)
    by Patrick on Mon Mar 07, 2005 at 10:29:47 AM EST
    Dadler, I'm not denying there are gays in the military. I have trouble with your characterization that the population is massive. Your links don't show that. They only show what we already know, there is a long history of homosexuals serving in the armed forces of many countries.

    Re: Sexual Harassment in the Military (none / 0) (#12)
    by kdog on Mon Mar 07, 2005 at 10:49:06 AM EST
    Whether women should be in the military is another debate alltogether. As it is now, they are allowed, and if allowed it goes without saying they should not be sexually harassed.

    Re: Sexual Harassment in the Military (none / 0) (#13)
    by Dadler on Mon Mar 07, 2005 at 11:03:43 AM EST
    patrick, perhaps "massive" wasn't the best word. significant, perhaps, is better. the simple fact, however, that an open gay life will get you kicked out of the military leads me to infer -- also based on the number of discharges since "don't ask, don't tell" -- that the real number of gay people serving could very well be much larger than we believe. but since i, nor anyone, know the real numbers, an expert in this case is the same as a palm reader. acknowledged.

    Re: Sexual Harassment in the Military (none / 0) (#14)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Mon Mar 07, 2005 at 01:40:15 PM EST
    Sure you werent thinking of gays in law enforcement dadler?

    Re: Sexual Harassment in the Military (none / 0) (#15)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Tue Mar 08, 2005 at 05:31:14 AM EST
    "That is the reason why you don't have woman inside male units" Maybe we shouldn't allow heterosexuals in the military, if they can't learn some self-control.

    Re: Sexual Harassment in the Military (none / 0) (#16)
    by Jlvngstn on Tue Mar 08, 2005 at 06:03:44 AM EST
    My experience in a non war time military was that sexual harassment was pervasive and ignored, this is only what has been reported I can almost guarantee that sexual misconduct is widespread and chalked up to "boys will be boys".....