"... a female soldier in combat zones is more likely to be raped by a fellow soldier
than killed by enemy fire. The Defense Department estimated that 19,000 cases of
sexual assault occurred last year, 3,200 of which were reported or investigated
by the armed services. It’s hard to watch the film and not wonder why — despite
years of Pentagon studies, congressional hearings, stern talk of “zero
tolerance” and task-force recommendations — there hasn’t been more progress." Washpost editorial
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Hard to understand, eh? Well. lemmee try to 'splain it to you all. (Soldier dialect). The great majority of men desire women. I realize that this is not true for some Washpost editorial writers. Nevertheless, as is said in that font of wisdon "When Harry met Sally," men pretty much want women. Really platonic male-female friendship is largely an illusion at least on the male side. As Harry said, "You pretty much want to nail them all."
This is true in the military as well as in the general population. The real question is what the male will do about opportunities he might have. In the military you have youngish, fit, fairly basic men placed in authority in training situations over young impressionable women. The resultant exploitation of the often acquiescent women is frequently a result. Why would the woman acquiesce? In training, enlisted women are homesick, afraid, exhausted and confused. A drill instructor who appears to be a possible protector has a tremendous psychological advantage in dealing with such women. Once the woman graduates from training, she naturally does not want to make such an experience public.
Rape in the military is a different but closely related matter. Our present wars cause soldiers to exist for long periods of time under inhuman conditions. The puritan spirit of the age, is reflected in close policing of; smoking, drinking and certainly addictive drugs. Such things occur but the penalties for getting caught are severe. Local women are out of the question unless one wishes to come home in a box in several pieces. It was not always this way. In my biggest war, the one in SE Asia, women would stand by the side of the road to loudly announce their availability. Life in today's wars is a form of enforced and unwilling monasticism. "Forward Operating Bases," (FOBS) are inhabited by hordes of male and female "fobbits," busily pumping iron, eating a lot of rich food, and surfing the internet. The Post finds rape surprising under these circumstances? The French Army used to have "Mobile Field Bordellos" staffed by girls from North Africa striving for La Gloire Francaise while earning a future dowry for back home. In combat, as at Dien Bien Phu, the girls worked as nurses aides in the hospitals. But, that was the French. We would never do anything as immoral and human as that.
How to deal with all this?
This is a disciplinary matter. Rape is the equivalent of a felony under UCMJ. The use of positions of authority to sexually exploit women in the military is also a major crime. The military must enforce the law. The decision to require a colonel or Navy captain to resolve such matters is a good one. Officers at that rank are usually two or three levels of command distant from the offense. This will make senior officers more likely to believe that the "stain" of this disgrace will not extend to them.
It is a terrible idea to think of injecting civilians into the military chain of command. This would be a step on the road to some sort of dual command situation. the communists had such systems in which a political officer (commissar) exercised "joint command" with actual commanders. This was done to ensure political correctness. Commissars counter-signed orders before they were effective.
Is that what we want? I think not. pl
I agree 100%. offtopic fyi: http://original.antiwar.com/giraldi/2012/07/04/america-adopts-the-israel-paradigm/
Posted by: Colin Murray | 05 July 2012 at 11:40 AM
Forward in the spirit of marxism, eh?
First homosexuals 'out and proud', and now the continual attempts to inject women into the combat arms in the name of 'diversity'. All the slippery slope, social petri dish nonsense that gets handwaved away.
Bring back the WAC and WAVES and call it a day. Women are more of a burden from what I've seen then they are a benefit. There is no need to further attempt to masculinize our daughters.
Posted by: Tyler | 05 July 2012 at 01:04 PM
Col.
I agree with your assesment of the situation. However, this is an ongoing 15-20 year problem that the Military has never truly sought to resolve on their own. They should start with eliminating any penalty to a woman who reports--that would be a major step forward. Then if they actually prosecuted 50-75% of cases, I would completely agree that the Military was capable/responsible enough to enforce the laws without civilian oversight. As a woman, I have always been left facing the question: Is the lack of reporting, penalties for reporting to victims, lack of prosecution due to the fact that Command still believes women don't belong? That this is the risk a woman chooses for joining the military and therefore deserves no protection? Action/prosecution speaks louder than words.
Posted by: hope4usa | 05 July 2012 at 02:06 PM
I seem to recall a saying in my day, half a century ago, that if you were guilty you fared better in a civilian court and if you were innocent you fared better in a military court martial.
Posted by: Bill H | 05 July 2012 at 02:15 PM
Human nature is so difficult!
But there is hope. If a way was found to reign in those college professors who regarded attractive coeds as job benefits, there is reason to believe that grunts can be tamed as well.
Posted by: JohnH | 05 July 2012 at 04:32 PM
I suspect from your comment pages that not many women read this blog. But if any do, I'd be interested to hear their perspective on "often acquiescent women."
Posted by: Paul in NC | 05 July 2012 at 05:36 PM
Paul in NC
So would I. You don't think this is true? Something like, "a slave could never be acquiescent?" A lifetime of observation would indicate to me that both situations are possible. pl
Posted by: turcopolier | 05 July 2012 at 08:13 PM
rick
The problem now is that junior officers are not doing that. pl
Posted by: turcopolier | 05 July 2012 at 08:15 PM
There should not be a penalty to a woman ( or nowadays, anyone of any gender...) who reports a genuine sexual assault.
There should be harsh penalties for those who bear false witness, though, whatever their motivation might have been. And, yeah, it happens.
Posted by: Mike Martin, Yorktown, VA | 05 July 2012 at 10:21 PM
Mike Martin.
There is no such legal penalty. pl
Posted by: turcopolier | 05 July 2012 at 11:32 PM
Article 131 Perjury
Posted by: mike | 06 July 2012 at 01:33 AM
Paul in NC, I thought about your question re "often acquiescent females" and I agree with Col Lang's assessment of why they are acquiescent ie young, possibly not well educated, away from home in a male dominated enviornment, etc. Also as Col Lang once mentioned, women are attracted to power. There have always been instances of married men in the military having an affair with a female soldier. Rumor has is the General Eisenhower could possibly have been involved with his driver.
All this being said, rape is not an act of passion but of violence. Many of the cases I have heard about have been violent attacks and that really cannot be tolerated. these rapes have also been perpetrated by men against men.
Some may suggest that women should not be in the military, however if a women is qualified should she not be allowed just because a man might rape her. That type of thinking has led to women in the middle east being forced to wear a burqua.
I'm not sure what the answer is but if a man rapes a fellow soldier while in the military, he probably will continue doing so when out of the military.
As for a women reporting a false rape, I would imagine that there are many more rapes not reported due to feelings of shame or even fear of reprissal than are reported.
Posted by: Nancy K | 06 July 2012 at 07:44 AM
Pat, true. At present. But I've seen the effects of bogus complaints on at least one friend's career.
Posted by: Mike Martin, Yorktown VA | 06 July 2012 at 08:01 AM
NancyK et al
Rape is a felonious crime under UCMJ. It should be reported, investigated and prosecuted. False accusations will be a problem but the service has no choice but to enforce the law. Abuse of authority over a woman (or anyone) to obtain sex is also a crime under UCMJ whether or not the victim is acquiescent. pl
Posted by: turcopolier | 06 July 2012 at 08:39 AM