Military Sexual Trauma: Continuing Ignored Super Epidemic

Will Congress do anything??? Probably not.

Courtesy: va.gov

(PORTLAND, OR) - Military sexual trauma: this situation is so bad! It is a longstanding continuing problem, and anything I write might help to slow down this egregious military problem based on the statement that "Rank has its privileges". Rape should not be one of these privileges. But it seems that ranking non-com's and officers want to keep it that way.

According to a spy in the VA system, there are literally hundreds of thousands of women in the military who have been sexually harassed in many ways with real physical actions being the worst to the victims and usually prolonged or lifelong psychological problems. One of three women veterans have been sexually assaulted.

At the same time, it has never really been recognized or treated by the VA. According to them, it is really not PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Divorce) because that is only caused by combat action. Big surprise, MST (Military Sexual Trauma) is far worse because it is usually done by one's peers or worse, a commanding sergeant or officer.

It is estimated that about 50,000 women veterans are homeless, possibly from this condition, but probably less than 10% are in VA treatment facilities. This is worse than for male veterans, but why should it be?

Congressional Hearings about this were addressed in 2005, but the subject has been bandied around in Congress for about 20 years, but almost nothing has been done to punish the rapists, until this day.

One of the worst features of this whole business are the officer/non-com or even medical officer or nurse. To a complaint about sexual harassment, sexual assault, or rape, the advice to the victim is, "take these pills for a few days". LaVena Johnson, an Army Private in Balad, Iraq, was burned, bruised, had a tooth knocked out, had a corrosive chemical poured on her pubic area, before she was set on fire. See her story, "LaVena Johnson, Military Rape and Murder" in Salem-News.com, Feb 15, 2010. This was somewhat worse than usual, but about par for the course. Nothing has been done about this.

LET'S HOPE HAGEL AND PANETTA WILL GET SOMETHING DONE ABOUT IT!!!

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