wrench wench

I believe that '1 in 3' statistic is from a GAO report and the VA uses it too. 1% of male soldiers are also sexually assaulted.

I was raped by an NCO who I knew at my training base and did not perceive in the least as a threat. I did not report it for two reasons (ok, maybe more). First, there was a major investigation of lesbians on base and the women were all scared to be seen with each other as it was impossible to prove you weren't gay. Second, the general attitude then was WAF's (We All F**k) were either dykes or whores (also a common civilian perception)...if you didn't enjoy sex of any kind with a guy...you were a dyke. Third, we all knew it was useless to report this stuff, nothing would happen and our lives would be made unbearable( if we weren't kicked out for "the good of the service"). Last, I wanted no one to touch me ever...and I trusted no one from that point on.

This may also have been a factor of the time I served ('70's). Maybe it's different now. I know lots of enlisted women who have been raped and/or assaulted...including some from combat zones...but I know of no officers.

The remaining 5 1/2 years I served as the first woman to work the flightline at various bases...in very hostile, sexist, anti women situations. I more than pulled my weight and was not the least bit provocative or manipulative. But I was assaulted physically numerous times...threatened...put in dangerous situations (like North Dakota flightline in winter with no arctic gear) until I became (and still am ) 'jumpy as a longtailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs'.

I have seen some very positive media spreads about military women. Not enough, maybe. Perhaps it is up to us to call in story ideas to the press or write up stuff ourselves and submit them.

Insight

Why did you stick around as long as you did? Why would you allow yourself to treated this way? How long were you forced to stay out on the flight line in the cold without winter gear?

wrench wench

I stuck around that long because I enlisted for six years. I was homeless for six months before joining and really didn't have a lot of alternatives. I am not quite sure how to respond to "how could you let yourself be treated that way". First off...see above. Second, I liked my job and didn't want to do anything else. Third, the more crap I got the more stubborn I got. This was the beginning of integrating women into non-traditional jobs. Why did blacks put up with crap while integrating schools and neighborhoods? I guess because I wanted to prove that a woman could handle it and the only thing that gave it meaning was the vision that women who came later could do what ever job they wanted and be treated/ respected as fellow soldiers.

I spent a couple of weeks with just my field jacket and liner. Other women loaned me gloves and rain boots to go over my combat boots until they figured I wasn't going to start whining and quit. Then I got some gear. And FYI...in those early days when few if any women were in mechanical jobs...they had no women sized gloves, boots, etc. We had to buy our own from army surplus or find small men's boots or gloves...not easy. The arctic gear I needed wasn't ordered until they decided I was staying...but it was available because some support/admin women needed it.

I also need to explain that there was no rape crisis or sexual harrassment resources back then. The attitude was if you were stupid enough to join up...esp in these fields...what did you expect? If you did complain...the woman generally got booted out. If not, the people you had to work with were fully informed and your life was made a living hell. If you whined or showed emotional reaction with your shop mates...they would ramp it up even more like coyotes after a sheep.

SpiritGirlLives

Dear Insight,
You are asking some great questions. I am a Nurse Vietnam Veteran and have been interviewing women veterans for the past three years. When I began I was interested in their stories. I did not know the extent of the sexual assaults that you are referring to. I was shocked! I kept hearing more and more and it was pretty overwhelming. I had not seen much in the news but as time went on I did.

I was committed to telling the stories of women who served with pride and have many of them. I interviewed women from all branches of the military and from all time periods. I am sad to tell you this, but it is safer for us as nurses and officers, but even we were subject to the "good old boys network" where they consider us government property. I had a major who was a heart surgeon come up behind me during an open heart surgery and put his hands on my breasts. I told him to "Take your hands off me now or I will break scrub!" He did and from that day on I was never allowed to scrub on an open heart surgery at Presidio again.

What I can tell you from my research is that in the overall, there is very little in the media about sexual abuse of women in the military, compared to how much there is. I am writing a book which was originally going to include the stories of women's proud and competent service but I was told it will not be published unless I narrow the focus to one thing, sexual abuse in the military. I wanted to show the positive too. It is true that to get it published I need to narrow the focus.

That subject must be addressed in congress and a change in attitudes and behavior must take place to make service in the military safer for all women.

The statistics are very high. I am not sure 1 in 3 is accurate and I can't find my data at the moment, but it is at least 1 in 10 and it has been increasing. When I was doing the interviews a few years ago I was having a moment of thinking, "Well at least he Coast Guard is clean." and the very next day I received an email from a women who served in the Coast Guard who was raped. I did get her story and Insight, believe me these stories do need to be told and change must happen. Women must be heard and given equal justice in the military.

SpiritGirlLives

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SpiritGirlLives