Military Allows Rape of Female Soldiers

[Amy6627]

I heard this story on my local progressive this morning. It broke my heart.

Brendan who is a scientist here here in San Diego has a fiancée in the military and she is serving in Korea. She has been raped multiple times by other US soldiers and is now pregnant. She has been begging for help from all the appropriate channels in the military including Chaplains with no help whatsoever. Brendan has contacted all of his US Representatives Diane Feinstein, Barbara Boxer, and Susan Davis, and they have been non-responsive.

Brendan is trying to shed light on this with as many people as possible to perhaps shamming the powers that be in to action. He also said that this is NOT an isolated case. His fiancée knows others that this has happened to.

I do not know him personally, but we both work at a large University in San Diego. I spoke with him later at work over the phone, he is no crack pot. This is real.

Please contact your represent ives, media, email all your friends, whatever and get his story heard. We must put an end to this atrocity!

[LaurenG]

1. What are we supposed to tell our representatives

I'm not saying the story isn't true it just doesn't sound credible. Is her home state California?

[Amy6627]

7. Yes California is her home state, but they aren't doing anything.

Maybe by telling reps in other state we might get one to do something.

[noamnety]

9. It sounds credible to me.

It's consistent with Col Karpinski's testimony about women dying of dehydration at Camp Victory because they stopped drinking fluids in the afternoon because they were getting raped by thet latrines at night - and the command covered it up.

It's consistent with Cpt. Machmer's testimony to Congress in 2003, that she reported a rape, and watched her career "implode" as a result.

It's consistent with military law which doesn't recognize a rape as a rape unless penetration is done specifically with a penis - as was the case with Cap. Machmer's rapist. He was promoted, by the way.

It's consistent with the Tailhook Convention scandal (remember that?). 83 women complained about being sexually harassed, groped, clothes ripped, assaulted, etc. 177 men were accused. You can guess how many charges were filed. (None.)

It's consistent with the statistics from a study by the Department of Army Medical Research of the U.S. Department of Defense, showing that 30% of female veterans were raped, or the victim of rape attempts while serving in the military.

[LaurenG]

11. Thank you - the op gave no details or background on this

and I couldn't figure out what to say happened and to whom.

[noamnety]

14. Well, that's still a legitimate concern

I don't have enough info either to actually pick up the phone. :)

If we're being asked to contact a representative, we'd have to know:

1) The name of either the woman or the fiancée. You can't say "an acquaintance of someone on a web forum" or "a guy someone on the web heard on the radio." I'm assuming if he was on the radio, he doesn't mind having his name given out.

2) What exactly are we asking the rep to do?

So it's not that I think it's an urban legend or anything, like I said, it sounds consistent with what goes on in the military - speaking as a female vet here - but what are we asking for? One time intervention so she can get an abortion? Prosecution of her individual assailants? A discharge for her, personally? Or a revision to a specific military law? I admit, I can't tell from the OP.

[MsUnderstood]

2. What story?

A friend of a friend who had an incident within the military is nothing I could contact my representatives about.

Your post has all the ingredients of an urban legend. . .you need to show some proof of the event--like the link to the radio show that played the story, news clippings, etc.

[Amy6627]

8. I talked to him personally this morning. He was on the Stacy Taylor

show this morning 1360 KLSD. He gave his last name and I looked him up on our campus directory. He is a research scientist here at UCSD. If an offical wanted to speak to him personally, I can get them in touch with him.

[bahrbearian]

15. Nothing to see here move along ,, the police will sort it out.

[T Wolf]

3. The naysayers will trash you for insulting "our brave men in uniform" when

they know that soldiers never do wrong.

The only way to avoid rape by the military is to avoid the military.

[BushOut06]

25. That's hogwash

Please, that's such bullshit. To say the military actively "allows" rape is absurd. There may be occasions where certain commanders aren't doing their job, and look the other way for whatever reason. But I guarantee you there are plenty of servicemen doing hard time at Leavenworth and other installations for rape.

You can get raped in ANY profession you go into. How many times in civilian life do rapists get away because the local authorities look the other way? Does that mean that the United States allows rape?

[Kookaburra]

4. If it's true, it's horrible, but...

you're going to have a hard time getting anyone to take this story seriously as is. I don't see any verifiable facts (i.e. names of people she reported the incidents to, etc.). The reps names are on there, but anyone can supply those names.

[Amy6627]

10. See my response #8

[Mabus]

5. Command rape - Suzanne Swift

Excerpts from an article that was on DU the other day. link: http://www.counterpunch.org/swanson07082006.html

Suzanne Swift's story begins in an all-too-familiar way. A dead-end job, a friendly military recruiter, a promise that signing-up as military police would mean no deployment to Iraq, a broken promise, and a trip to war. Then it takes a less commonly heard of turn, one involving a practice known as "command rape." Suzanne is back in the U.S. and is refusing to return to Iraq. Until a couple of days ago she was confined by the military and threatened with prosecution. The three superiors whom she has accused of various forms of harassment or assault have not yet been charged. Suzanne's mother, Sara Rich, spoke with me about her daughter's ordeal and recorded this 20-minute conversation.

***

DAVID: But what was done specifically to her that led her to refuse to go back?

SARA: Well, there were two sergeants that harassed her and one that sexually assaulted her in something called command rape while she was in Iraq; then a third harassed her when they returned from Iraq, so three sergeants that we are pressing criminal charges against.

DAVID: Can you define "command rape" for people who are not in the service or familiar with the term?

SARA: Sure, this is something I have learned, and the Army family therapistI've heard of a lot of stupid things. I have never heard of command rape. It's when your superior has life-or-death decisions over you, so they can tell you to run across a minefield, and you have to comply. Basically they have all the life-or-death decisions over you. They coerce you or do something with you that's sexual it's called command rape. http://www.counterpunch.org/swanson07082006.html

[rman]

29. kick

[Nikki Stone 1]

31. "Command rape" shows that rape really is about power

Good post

[Mabus]

32. I read Brownmiller's book years ago

I see Against Our Will has been reprinted since the 80's (when I originally read it). It is about power and viewing others as inferior or property.

[Nikki Stone 1]

34. Gonna have to read that one.

Thanks.

[arcane1]

6. reminds me of this recent story:

Military Hides Cause of Women Soldiers' Deaths
By Marjorie Cohn
t r u t h o u t | Report

Monday 30 January 2006

In a startling revelation, the former commander of Abu Ghraib prison testified that Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez, former senior US military commander in Iraq, gave orders to cover up the cause of death for some female American soldiers serving in Iraq.

Last week, Col. Janis Karpinski told a panel of judges at the Commission of Inquiry for Crimes against Humanity Committed by the Bush Administration in New York that several women had died of dehydration because they refused to drink liquids late in the day. They were afraid of being assaulted or even raped by male soldiers if they had to use the women's latrine after dark.

The latrine for female soldiers at Camp Victory wasn't located near their barracks, so they had to go outside if they needed to use the bathroom. "There were no lights near any of their facilities, so women were doubly easy targets in the dark of the night," Karpinski told retired US Army Col. David Hackworth in a September 2004 interview. It was there that male soldiers assaulted and raped women soldiers. So the women took matters into their own hands. They didn't drink in the late afternoon so they wouldn't have to urinate at night. They didn't get raped. But some died of dehydration in the desert heat, Karpinski said.

-snip-
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/013006J.shtml

[Nikki Stone 1]

26. Totallybushed should read this post

as should anyone else who doesn't think military rape of women isn't common.

[Mabus]

33. I remember reading this when it was reported

It just made me sick to my stomach. It still does.

Thanks for the reminder.

[NaturalHigh]

12. Is there a link to this story? nt

[Amy6627]

13. No link. I heard it this morning on the radio--Stacy Taylor show

1360 KLSD. The guy who is the soldier's fiancee, gave out his last name. I looked him up on the campus directory. We both work at UCSD, but do not know each other. He is a research scientist and I spoke with him, he is not a crack pot. If any offical would like to speak to him directly, I can get them intouch with him.

[Totallybushed]

16. I don't mean to

be unsympathetic, and I could be wrong very easily.

But it sounds to me as if Brendan should examine his relationship with this woman because her story sounds fishy as hell to me.

[kiahzero]

17. There have never been problems with rape in the military.

We've found the WMDs in Iraq. The moon is made of green cheese.

I'm not saying the story is true, but it is entirely plausable, given our military's incredibly poor history in this regard.

[Totallybushed]

18. No real need for sarcasm.

I said that I could be wrong. And rape is totally predictable when men and women are in the kind of proximity the military presents. Despicable, yes. Should be punished severely, yes. But also completely predictable.

So it could be true. But repeated rapes, and nothing being done? Could be, I guess. Maybe it is believable.

But the alternative hypotheses, that the woman got too friendly with the troops for an engaged woman and lied to cover her lousy ass, is also plausible.

Fortunately, I do not have to decide the truth of the matter. That is a matter for a)the authorities and b) the boyfriend.


I believe the boyfriend will be far more hurt by being wrong than will the authorities, hence my advice to examine his relationship with the woman.

I wish him, and her, well and hope they can solve this problem in an honest and satisfactory manner.

[kiahzero]

19. Nothing being done about rape is nothing new.

Search for "Air Force Academy scandal"... you'll find just one of many cases.

[Totallybushed]

20. True, it is

a disgrace. But you've avoided my point. OK.

[kiahzero]

22. Your original point was that her story "sounded fishy"

My point is that there's nothing remotely new about this type of allegation, and so it hardly should seem "fishy."

[Totallybushed]

23. OK. It doesn't sound

'fishy' to you. A valid opinion.

It sounds fishy as hell to me. Also a valid opinion.

Here's the rub. Neither one of us has to live with the consequences of being wrong. The boyfriend does.

'Nuff said?

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

21. What An Absurd Thread Title.

Firstly, who knows the true validity of this. Secondly, I'm not saying rape doesn't happen in the military but to proclaim that the 'Military ALLOWS rape of female soldiers' is just completely irresponsible and a baseless attack. You should really choose your accusations more wisely.

I do hope, however, that if there is any merit to what happened to this woman that justice is served and the perps severely punished. But I still think proclaiming things along the lines of 'The military doesn't care if its soldiers are raped' is reckless and just plain wrong.

[Nikki Stone 1]

27. Read some of the articles included in this thread, Operation

It seems like rape is an institutional problem in the military as is ignoring military women who rape victims. The statement of Gen. Karpinsky is particulary interesting.

[Hidden Stillness]

24. Still a Medieval World, for Women

Anyone who does not know about this outrageous situation obviously does not care and does not want to know. It is not new, nothing has improved, there have been periodic scandals about this oppressive treatment of women, and recently Republican Representative Christopher Shays chaired a subcommittee hearing on Sexual Assaults in Military Academies. It featured two panels and was played several times on C-SPAN2, about 5 hours total, originally from Tuesday, June 27th, 2006. It was compelling, detailed the total lack of response on behalf of victims, showed that the military and military academies still cover up for the rapists, who still suffer no consequences, and still railroad and sabotage the careers of the victims who try to seek justice. A former Air Force cadet named Elizabeth Davis testified, and was spellbinding: very detailed account of what happened, intelligent, clear, angry, sympathetic, and ultimately hopeless. The military's "new" policy of trying to completely discourage victims from bringing charges, on the promise that they will give the victims psychiatric counseling and not destroy their careers, is chilling.

"The hearing centered on the testimony of one young woman, Elizabeth Davis, a former cadet at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado. Now 25, Davis told the subcommittee, 'I was raped and assaulted repeatedly my freshman year by a superior cadet in my squadron. In earlier sexual assault briefings during my training,' she testified, 'upper-class women cadets informed us that it was very likely that we would be raped or sexually assaulted during our time at the academy, and they instructed us that if we were attacked, to not report it to authorities because it would effectively destroy our career.'

"Davis says when she finally reported the rapes, she was branded mentally ill by an academy psychologist who told her he had been ordered to do so by an academy commander. She was then charged with serious infractions and forced to resign.

" 'To my shock and dismay, the demerits were for "sex in the dorms," because my rapes took place in the dormitory,' she testified, ' "fraternization," because my rapist was an upperclassman, and "alcohol" because I had included in my charges that my perpetrator had been buying alcohol for my underage peers. As my world and everything I believed in crumbled before me, I realized I was being castigated and thrown out of the academy for reporting the heinous crimes that had been committed against me.'

"Several top Air Force Academy officials retired or were reassigned after accusations by Davis and several other female cadets became public in 2003. But none of the military officials has been disciplined for Davis's treatment. Congressman Shays and several committee members expressed outrage. 'The testimony I've heard today,' Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney told the hearing room, 'is that if you're raped, you're thrown out of the military with charges against you so you cannot get a job in the military or government again. Yet if you're the rapist, you just might get a promotion. Or if you're discharged, you're quietly discharged.'

"Congressman Shays said, 'You basically had brutality take place, testimony that all the women were told, "you will be raped and you must deal with it." And then you have testimony that the people who raped are alive and well in our military, prospering.' "

http://www.voanews.com/english/2006-06-30-voa22.cfm

This cadet mentioned during her testimony, describing the "rape culture" atmosphere that is so prevasive, so hostile to rape victims, that the clear message the almost-all-male culture sends to women who join the armed forces or military academies, is that women are hated, and not wanted, and that they would do anything to get them all to leave. It is as bad as it was 30 years ago when some of these problems were new, they have done nothing to support or help women since, and it seems the males controlling this system are still just trying to get rid of us all. This Shays hearing was really great and important, but no doubt, they will do nothing about the situation, as always, again. Yet again, the woman-haters on DU just cannot believe that any such thing exists.

[Nikki Stone 1]

28. This is an excellent post

And very compelling. Thank you.

[slide to the left]

30. can you pm me with more info

My brother is stationed there and I want to see if he knows anything.