Solving Systemic Rape in the U.S. Military

By Katie Case
Policy and Advocacy Director
Younger Women’s Task Force Atlanta

Sept. 30th, 2013

“The scourge of sexual violence in the military should be intolerable, and infuriating, to all of us.” –Senator Kirsten Gillibrand

There is nothing new about the rampant rape in the United States military. There have been numerous articles written about it, research published on it and empty promises to fix it. It has currently caught the public’s attention again due to a string of recent high profile cases that have forced Congress to orchestrate some serious attempts to address this epidemic.

These high profile cases further demonstrate how prevalent sexual assault is in the military and its academies. Incidents this year include three U.S. Naval Academy football players charged with gang rape of a mid-shipman, the blatantly sexist email chain sent by rugby players at West Point, and a West Point sergeant, First Class Michael McClendon, charged with secretly filming female cadets in the shower. Within a short span of time it was also reported the Air Force’s Sexual Assault Prevention Chief, Lt. Col. Jeffrey Krusinski, was charged with sexual battery. And, just a week after Lt. Col. Krusinski’s arrest, a second U.S. army sergeant assigned to a military sexual assault program was under investigation for various forms of sexual misconduct including rape and forced prostitution.

Just this past May, the Pentagon released a survey estimating that 26,000 people in the armed forces were sexually assaulted last year (2012), up from 19,000 in 2010. The report also suggested many victims continue not to report the crimes due to fear of retribution or lack of justice under the department’s system of prosecution.

The fact is the U.S. military is a hot bed for rape culture. It’s extremely hierarchical, hyper-masculine, and held together by unwavering obedience. This military crisis is a symptom of society’s consistent devaluation and objectification of women. We actively teach boys from a very early age to disrespect the feminine. So how do we expect them to treat their fellow woman soldier with respect and not as a sex toy or worse?

How then do we understand and stop the epidemic of sexual violence in the U.S. Military? Clearly this needs to be addressed multi-laterally with special attention to prosecuting rapists in a timely manner and providing extensive training sessions on rape culture and consent for all academies and branches of the U.S. military. Quite obviously there needs to be a dramatic over-haul on how the military handles rape allegations. Victims are often re-victimized by having to keep serving alongside their rapist or more often than not, being dishonorably discharged because they spoke out. Currently, Congress is battling ways to change the age-old chain of command when it comes to reporting sexual assault. Allowing soldiers to report the crimes without letting their commanding officers know is key. What is also key in prosecuting rapists is barring senior commanders from having the ability to overturn guilty verdicts in sexual assault cases.

The Younger Women’s Task Force Metro Atlanta (YWTF-ATL) Chapter fully supports comprehensive reforms within the military to keep our soldiers safer from sexual assault. Since many young women sign up for military service, and are likely targets as new recruits, YWTF-ATL believes it critical to raise awareness on this issue and to push Congress to act quickly and efficiently.

The good news is word is getting out and victims are speaking up, as with the award winning documentary The Invisible War directed by Kirby Dick. Also, with Senators like Kirsten Gillibrand leading the way, Congress is trying to hold the military accountable and forcing it to change its toxic culture. We believe this issue a violation of human rights and no soldier should fear her fellow soldier more than the enemy.