A commentary published by the Schreiver AFB Sexual Assault Response Coordinator today, is a good example of what today's Military Sexual Trauma survivors have been sharing with advocates outside the military.
The depth of understanding that is reportedly absent among the SAPR C's, six and seven years after the SAPR offices were set up Department of Defense wide, is astonishing.
April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month. The commentary authored by the Schreiver AFB sexual assault response '"expert" is clear and convincing evidence that the informal feedback from survivors in the last five years are accurate. The SAPR C's are out gunned, and just another cog in the wheel of a machine they are not empowered to impact. Victims of sexual violence in the military are still being hung out to dry.
Anyone, who understands the true impact military-sexual assault has on servicemembers, most of whom are junior ranking, knows the comparison between assault or rape in civilian society, and the incidents within the military culture, are almost non-existent. Making such a correlation, as the commentary's author did, is to mislead the Airmen at Schreiver AFB.
A person who experiences sexual violence in the military can't quit their jobs, file a civil suit against the perpetrator, or their employer, for damages. Servicemember's are completely reliant on a system of governance whose bottom line focus is the operational mission at hand. Victim's are left powerless within a culture of leaders who haven't come to full acceptance that an Airmen, Soldier, Sailor or Marine's health and welfare (and their family's welfare) are key to military readiness. Rightly so, most victims don't report the sexually violent crimes perpetrated against them.
Therefore, the charade continues.
To illustrate the disconnect that exists, one need only consider data as presented in the commentary. The Schriever AFB SAPR C quote's, "Among the current Air Force population, 18.9 percent of women, and 2.1 percent of men, reported having experienced some form of sexual assault while in the Air Force."
Based on 2011 U.S. Air Force end-strength data, the Air Force is host to a force of about 684,000 servicemembers, (including DoD and non DoD civilians). There are approximately 116,280, or 17 percent, women in the Air Force, and approximately, 499,320, or 73 percent male.
Therefore based on the Air Force's internal gallup poll, 21,976 women report having been sexually assaulted or raped, and 10, 485 of male report the same. In other words, there is roughly one male MST survivor now serving in the Air Force, to every two female MST survivors, who report having been sexually assaulted or raped.
The truth is, SAPR C's are figure heads, who are often misguided, and ill prepared to stave the epidemic of sexual violence in the military. Despite the recent attention the DoD has directed toward MST,there is no end in sight.
The continuing, outlandish accounts from troops of all military services, post assault, are not only common, but prolific. MST is on the rise, according to the DoD's own estimates. The public, and our servicemen and women, deserve a realistic portrayal of the MST epidemic.
As long as misinformation, and a lack of forthright, honest MST assessment exists, the longer the epidemic of military rape and sexual assault will rise in numbers. The longer our valiant and honorable servicemember's will remain trapped in a system of injustice.
The time to end this epidemic is NOW.
