Ft. Sill Commander Addresses Growing Sexual Assaults

US ArmyFt. Sill Commander Addresses Growing Sexual Assaults

FORT SILL Okla_ Top leaders at Ft. Sill met Wednesday to have an open and candid discussion regarding sexual assaults and harassments and the policies in place to make sure no crime goes unreported.

Over the past two years, Major General Mark McDonald said there have been about 50 cases of sexual assault and harassment. Wednesday’s seminar with top leaders came months before new initiatives set forth by the Department of Defense will take effect. In August, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel outlined several new initiatives to reduce the amount of sexual harassment in the military.

Read more: http://www.kswo.com/story/23649561/ft-sill-commander-addresses-growing-sexual-assaults

Chain of command hurts justice and victims

Chain of command hurts justice and victims

Sexual assaults in the military undergo a lengthy process of reporting before perpetrators can be punished. Faced with the mountains of red tape that must be cut through to bring justice to their offenders, many victims decide not to report the assaults at all. Victims are afraid to confront their situation, fearing that the revelation of their case will affect their role in the military.

Even more problematic is that the victim must report it in their chain of command – which can pose hardships for the victim, Capt. Lory Manning explains in an article for PBS titled “Emails shed new light on military sexual assault case.”

Read more: http://www.dailytitan.com/2013/10/chain-of-command-hurts-justice-and-victims/

Seminar: Rape in military ‘like rape in family’

Seminar: Rape in military ‘like rape in family’

Holly O’Reilly read a chilling description of a chronic problem that continues to haunt military life: “Rape in the military is like rape in the family,” she said. “It’s where you live — it’s not just where you work.” “Rape is rape,” O’Reilly said. “It’s not about sex but about violence and power.”

Read more: http://www.recordonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20131012/NEWS/310120332/-1/NEWS

When the Violence Comes Home

When the Violence Comes Home

A new study in the Journal of Family Violence starts off with a strong, hard truth: “Female Veterans experience intimate partner violence (IPV) at alarming rates.” Women in military service, the authors say, are not only at risk of sexual assault while they are serving; they are also at a much greater risk of domestic violence at home than non-vets. The authors, led by Katherine M. Iverson at the National Center for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, say that the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) needs to be much better equipped to detect and treat this persistent and troubling phenomenon than they are now.

Read more: http://www.psmag.com/health/domestic-violence-comes-home-female-veterans-war-68090/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+miller-mccune%2Fmain_feed+(Pacific+Standard+-+Main+Feed)

Judge: ‘Military…fell down on job…’ in case of soldier with PTSD

US ArmyJudge: ‘Military…fell down on job…’ in case of soldier with PTSD

LAKE CHARLES, LA (KPLC) – The case of Marcus Carey shines light on what some suggest is an escalating problem: Combat veterans with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) who don’t get the help they need. Carey fought in Iraq and Afghanistan and suffers PTSD. Now, he’s serving 30 years for murder and some question if proper treatment might have made a difference. Whether you call it shell shocked or PTSD, it’s a serious mental health issue for veterans being reintroduced into society after being in combat.

Watch video: http://www.kplctv.com/story/23651540/judge-militaryfell-down-on-job-in-case-of-soldier-with-ptsd

Two ex-Navy football players to go on trial in rape case despite judge’s recommendation

Eric Graham and Josh Tate

Two ex-Navy football players to go on trial in rape case despite judge’s recommendation

The superintendent of the U.S. Naval Academy set aside the recommendation of a military judge Thursday and ordered two former Navy football players to face court-martial in the alleged sexual assault of a female midshipman, attorneys for the accused men said.

Joshua Tate, 21, of Nashville, will be tried on a charge of aggravated sexual assault, and Eric Graham, 21, of Eight Mile, Ala., will be tried on a charge of abusive sexual contact. Both are also charged with making false statements.

Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/two-of-three-ex-navy-football-players-charged-in-alleged-rape-will-face-court-martial/2013/10/10/0544abaa-31ae-11e3-8627-c5d7de0a046b_story.html

Two ex-Naval Academy football players face trial for sex assault

US NavyTwo ex-Naval Academy football players face trial for sex assault

Two former U.S. Naval Academy football players accused of sexually assaulting a female midshipman will be tried by general courts-martial, the school said on Thursday.

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/10/10/us-usa-military-sexualassault-idUSBRE9990QL20131010

Discharge dropped for airman who claimed retaliation

USAF LogoDischarge dropped for airman who claimed retaliation

Senior Airman Ciera Bridges, who had been facing discharge under other than honorable conditions, was featured in an Oct. 7 recent Air Force Times report on three airmen who claim they were retaliated against after accusing superiors of assault and harassment. Bridges was cited repeatedly for minor misconduct after she began making complaints against superiors for the harassment, which she said began soon after she arrived at Nellis in November 2009 and persisted for nearly three years.

Read more: http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20131009/NEWS/310090032/Discharge-dropped-airman-who-claimed-retaliation

Air Force Drops Discharge Of Sexual Assault Victim – After Story Breaks

USAF SealAir Force Drops Discharge Of Sexual Assault Victim – After Story Breaks

The Air Force has dropped its recommendation to discharge a servicewoman who claimed that she was sexually harassed and assaulted by three of her superiors — two days after the Air Force Times first reported on the alleged retaliation.

Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/10/air-force-sexual-assault_n_4078687.html

Airmen: More training for sexual assault prevention

USAF SealAirmen: More training for sexual assault prevention

Airmen want to know more about how to prevent sexual assault — and what to do if it happens to them or someone they know.

In the 2½ months since the Air Force began asking for input on the military’s sexual assault problem,airmen have said again and again they need more training, Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Larry Spencer said.

The call-out came in the wake of a May Defense Department report that showed a 35 percent increase in the number of service members who said they had experienced unwanted sexual contact, from an estimated 19,300 in 2010 to 26,000 in 2012.

Read more: http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20131010/NEWS05/310100030/Airmen-More-training-sexual-assault-prevention