No one knows exactly how many female veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have been sexually assaulted while on duty. That's because it is estimated that half of all sexual assaults go unreported.
As it is, 15% of female veterans have screened positive for Military Sexual Trauma. At a jaw-dropping estimate of 1 in 3, the rate of sexual assault victims in the military is twice that of the civilian population, an eerie echo of the doubled rate of suicide among veterans compared to civilians.
I've already expressed outrage at the avoidable factors threatening our troops that don't come from battling with the enemy, factors like electrocution in showers to exposure to contaminated water. But imagine if the biggest threat you've encountered came from a fellow military member, someone living in close quarters with you, someone you worked with, ate with, and interacted with on a daily basis.
And imagine if the agency responsible for caring for your well-being refused to address this issue.
Said Rep. Christopher Shays, R-Conn:
"Years of inaction at the DOD continue to speak volumes about senior leadership's commitment to our service members and civil servants. When it comes to sexual assault in the military, the DOD has absolutely no credibility."
Four years ago, the DOD was Congressionally mandated to establish a special task force on the issue of sexual assault in the military. In four years, this task force has yet to convene once. Not once.
Now the Pentagon has ordered Kaye Whitley, the director of the Department's Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office (SAPRO), to ignore a Congressional subpoena for a hearing on sexual assault in the military.
As if the refusal of SAPRO to name the 15-member civilian task force in 4 years didn't speak volumes about the DOD's guilt in the matter. But their absolute refusal to be probed whatsoever in their activities to prevent and respond to sexual assault confirms that the DOD is, for some reason, dragging its feet on addressing the issue. "It's the Pentagon's job to ensure our troops are protected, and they are failing miserably here," said Paul Rieckhoff, Operation Iraqi Freedom veteran and founder of the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America.
We hear a lot from the Bush administration and Washington in general about standing up for our troops. But with one in three women in the military being sexually assaulted and the Pentagon ignoring the problem (as well as the law and Congress), where is the outrage? You can help us apply a little pressure right now by signing a petition to Kaye Whitley. Tell her to do her job by convening the task force, investigating the problem, coming up with real solutions, and fighting to protect the brave women in our military.
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