Silenced Casualties

The majority of the American people, whether agreeing with the present war in Iraq or not, appear to wholeheartedly support the US troops. We herald them as heroes who give selflessly to their country and sacrifice their very lives in the name of our flag, Old Glory. Romantic notions of boys and girls going off to war and returning as men and women stir the very depths of our patriotic hearts. We revere those who take up arms in defense of our country and view them as our protectors, our warriors, the keepers of democracy. They represent the ideals that are the fabric of our existence in this great nation. Bottom line: we trust them with our loved ones, our lives and our freedom. What many people do not know is that the armed services have violated our trust and how.

They do not take care of our enlisted loved ones. Sexual assault is rampant in the military. Soldier on soldier violence is all too common and most of it never gets reported. After writing the article, "Who Really Killed Maria Lauterbach", my email was full of stories from sexual assault victims suffering not only from residual effects of their physical injuries but from MST, Military Sexual Trauma. Yes, it has been prevalent for so long that it garnered a special name. And a special report generated in 2001 by the Miles Foundation was reportedly swept under the rug by the Bush administration in an attempt to preserve our military image while we were engaged in wartime conflict.

Military sexual assault victims are subject to chaotic, if any, response once the crime is reported. There are supposed procedures in place but commanding officers are inconsistent in providing these services to the victims. Medical and psychological treatments are often delayed for days and even weeks. Shoddy evidence collection--if any, impudent disregard of the victimīs safety, and further betrayal by the command in accusing the victim of complicity and charging the victim with crimes all combine to beat the victim down, discouraging prosecution. In fact, many victims who are strong enough to come forward often drop their charges after continuous humiliation and abuse sustained after the case has been filed.

In a poignant video interview on the Military Times website, Airman Cassandra Hernandez recounts what happened after her harrowing gang rape. She states she did everything she was told to do in the case of a sexual assault. In processing the case, one of the alleged assailantīs attorneys interrogated her alone--clearly a violation of her rights--and that stress, she says, changed her mind about prosecuting. The three airmen involved admitted to "indecent liberties" and were docked pay and assigned more labor as "punishment". Airman Hernandez refuses to admit to indecent liberties, though accepts full responsibility for underage consumption of alcohol. Because she stands by her rape allegations, she now faces court martial in September for charges of indecent liberties. If convicted, she will be jailed, demoted and have to register as a sex offender. Her future dreams dashed by a militaristic society more interested in camouflaging the truth than standing up for its own enlisted.

Researching MST brings another more violent trend to light: murder. There are cases of sexual assault or soldier on soldier violence that have left the accusing party dead. With the key witness deceased, the case is conveniently wrapped up: no accuser, no charges, no case. One particular case is that of Airman First Class Ashley Turner who had accused a fellow airman of stealing $2700 from her account. Airman Calvin Eugene Hill was facing court martial and Airman Ashley Turner was set to testify. She never got the chance. Someone reportedly slammed a barbell weight into her face and then stabbed her to death. Though Airman Hill was cleared of the murder charges against him eight days after Ashley Turner was killed, he did plead guilty to larceny. There had been blood stain evidence on his shoe and a reported confession to a cellmate while he was in the brig. But the defense discredited the witness since he recanted his story when under the defense team's interrogation prior to the trial, even though he stuck by his story of hearing Hillīs confession while under oath at the trial.

Sadly these are not isolated cases. Just do a little research and see how many MST and soldier on soldier victims are courageous enough to reveal it. Times that number by 3 and you will have a conservative number reflecting the reality. In this realm, the military smacks of being a "good olī boys club" that spends its time protecting its brotherhood while leaving their victims ostracized with continuing shame, humiliation and pain.

Rape all over again. And the military is good at covering it up.