Short Response 11/30

In the "Women at Arms" articles, New York Times authors chronicle the difficulties that face women as they serve in the Iraq War alongside men. Unlike wars in the past, the Iraq War highlights the strides women have made to gain respect as professionals, even in the traditionally male-dominated military. In "A Peril in War Zones: Sexual Abuse by Fellow G.I.'s," Stephen Lee Meyers reports on the prevalence of sexual abuse in the army and the problem it poses for the victims, usually women. He explains that most sexual abuse cases involve women who work closely with and oftentimes live in close quarters with their perpetrators. As a result, reporting the abuse can cause problems within the troop, which could lead to dangerous implications for the safety of other soldiers uninvolved. As the sexually abused Captain Margaret H. White recounts, she was worried that reporting her accusations of abuse could put her troop's mission in jeopardy. While the military boasts a "no tolerance" policy for sexual assault and harrassment, its track record in dealing with abuse cases does not seem to reflect the same philosophy. For instance, when Sgt. Tracey R. Phillips reported a private sexually assaulted her in Iraq, after a series of lawsuits, she was finally relieved of her duties while her perpetrator remained employed overseas. While women say they feel confident about their strength and ability to fit in with the predominantly male-populated military, many explain that reporting sexual harrassment and abuse is not worth the reprecusions. This reality is highlighted by the minute 10% of sexual assault cases reported each year and the large number of assault cases dismissed as being unfounded.

I cannot say that I am surprised by the findings of these articles, particularly "A Peril in War Zones: Sexual Abuse by Fellow G.I.'s." The military includes mostly men and in times of war, rape is a reality. Throughout history, wartime has brought with it multiple occasions of rape and sexual harrassment, probably a result of psychological conditions of dominance that lead to the exercise of such power over weaker individuals. Usually, this type of attack takes place among enemies; however, it seems it has now translated into an activity in which men (and rarely women) are exercising this dominance over the women, and sometimes men, who share their same living spaces, report to the same officer, and work towards the same goal. In order to combat this harsh reality, the military needs to live up to its "no tolerance" policy by setting precident that assures women (and men) that reporting cases of sexual assault will not lead to an honorable discharge, but instead will lead to justice.