Harassment Issues -- File #1, 1996

Posted 26 Dec 96:

I am a 1970 veteran that entered the Army to give something back to my country. I left for boot camp Sept.23 one day after my eighteenth birthday. I was in Charlie company in Anniston, Alabama, however it's sad to think my best memories were of my buddies in boot camp.One of the most important people in my life was Sgt. Newvine in boot camp. I learned a lot from her and got a lot of support from her. After boot camp I left for my MOS at FT.Gordon communications. I had a terrible time in that MOS mainly because I couldn't even type. St. Louis changed my test scores to get me that MOS but they didn't do me any favors. I ended up treated like a pawn in a shop. I lost interest in my military after being gang raped on post. Thank god I reported it. But I lost the memory until 2 years ago after my 36 year old brother was murdered in Springfield, IL. He was beaten to death by 75 to 100 young gang members. It was during the funeral procession. A car load of gang members cut in line and sat in our line for 10 minutes holding us hostage when one gang member started to get out of the car I hit the floor board of the car. It was at that moment I started having flash backs of the rape. It made sense to me why it happened at that moment because my rape happened in the back seat of a car.I contacted the DAV who filed a claim and after 24 years of suffering I've been awarded 100% VA compensation.Of course they will review me in two years. However we who suffer PTSD know it doesn't disappear. My youth was taken away and one hell of a women lost in a military male world that was barbaric. I've surrounded my world with WOMEN! I don't trust MEN! at all nor at 44 years old will my attitude change/and I don't want it to.

Posted 16 Dec 96:

The Army Hotline number to report harassment is: 1-800-903-4241. Soldiers are encouraged to report any gender related harassment, assualt, rape, lesbian baiting or retaliation for having had reported such regardless of the date of incident.

Report of incidents that cover a span of years from different individuals is allowing the investigators to uncover patterns of abuse.

If you have a story to tell, call the hotline at let the Army know.

Submitted 5 Dec 96:

1975 and 1976 I served as an enlisted jeep, tank and truck parts repairperson. It seemed confusing at the time that the enlisted women had to score much higher on their test scores than men did in order to enlist. I thought it was unfair at the time, but what was I at 18 going to do about it? At 5'4" and 118 I was stronger than many females and more than a few males who served in the Army as well. Basic training was no problem for me and neither was A.I.T. ( Training) I had heard about a woman who was raped, but at the time I had no first hand knowledge of this, there were only stories. I did see a bunch of military police carry a mattress out of the women's barracks next door. Some said that a recruit was raped and was no longer stationed here. This was all that was said. I ignored it as hearsay and left it at that.

As any mechanic knows, tool boxes can be quite heavy and yet this, for me was simply part of the job. My permanent duty station turned out to be much different than my previous experiences. I had worked quickly, efficiently and was dedicated to doing an outstanding job. When time for a promotion came up I asked my male Sgt., my boss, if he was putting me in for promotion. He flatly stated that although I am one of his top producers, he would not and it was because I was a woman and women did not belong in a man's job. I accepted this at the time, although I was angry, because I didn't know how to fight it at the time. A few months later in 1976, I was asleep in my all female barracks, up on the second floor when a man hit me over the head with a hammer, took me outside, raped me and proceeded to continue hitting me. I was awake during part of this assault. When I woke up I went directly to barracks and screamed for an endless amount of time. I was hospitalized with 2 blood transfusions and part of my brain and scull bone were removed, not to mention the fact that my long hair no longer existed as they shaved my head. I had no metal plate inserted into my head, because I was not expected to survive the brutal attack. I had too many stitches to count and spent the next nine months in the hospital.

The military police were ineffective in their investigation as well as demeaning and insulting. I was asked what I was wearing that night, if I had sex before, who with etc. The attack was swept under the carpet, was never publicized and the man who tried to murder me was never found.

After I was discharged honorably with a medical disability I went back to my hometown. I consulted several military and civilian lawyers about bringing a suit against the Army and every single one of them informed me that it was impossible to sue Uncle Sam and to give it up. I finally did. The moral of the story? Women, no matter how talented, intelligent, hard working, dedicated or competent is safe if the military. Of course women belong there if they can do the job. Of course men belong there if they can do the job. Of course Gays,Catholics, Jews, Blacks, Whites, Yellows and Reds belong there if they are qualified and can do the job. Personally, I would rather fight a war than serve with some of the men in the armed services.

Submitted: 4 Dec 96:

I dropped by, hat in hand, concerned re all the crap at Aberdeen! I have yet to comprehend what the hell has happened in the Army! There has got to be more here than meets the eye. The two things that had the highest priority for the first 25+ years of my adult life (age 18 to 43) was my love of the military and my devotion to the women in my life. I grew up in a time when few women said yes, but even fewer said no and meant it! (To explain that before someone goes ballistic, when one's date says "Don't put your hand there" and at the same time holds the person's hand "there", it was obvious that no ain't no! Or earlier during my dating days, when a lady said "You can't put your hand in my bra, because my mama said it was bad", and she began to remove her bra as she spoke the words, no didn't mean no!). I agree that no means no when the person saying no is attempting to prevent a situation and is not "cooperative" in promoting the situation. No does not mean no when the speaker is climbing all over the alleged bad person, with lots of moans, groans and writhing body contact. Anyhow, I have seen many many many cases of relationships between EM, NCO and Officer ranks. I have seen good ones, bad ones and those in between. I have seen the lower ranks "use" the relationship to full advantage, and a few times I have seen some dumba** senior rank "use" the other! But from 1959 when I joined the military, until I retired in 1979, I only saw a few incidents that should have resulted in charges. Once when a drunk first sergeant was chasing a almost drunk civilian worker, down the street at Patch Barracks Germany, at 11PM at night after she drank with him all night at the club, went back to his BEQ for more drinking, stripped totally nude as they partied, then for some reason decided she was going home without "finishing" off the evening! She had changed her mind (her prerogative) and he was attempting to force her to "do it" anyhow. She ran, he pursued, she got slapped a couple of times and a young E5 stepped in, and kicked the crap out of one E8! (The young E5 thought he was saving a "lady" in distress, but he ended up being sexually assaulted by the lady..even though he did not protest a lot. (One other case was when the lesbian SFC was forcing the new female soldiers in Alaska to sleep with her!) Re Aberdeen! What bothers me most is that so many women are ready to accept that rape and sexual harassment should be lumped into one category. The 18 counts of rape and sexual harassment and consensual sex between an officer and a recruit, were suddenly bumped up to 36 cases on the assumption that only 50% were reported, etc....etc! By the time the media got through playing with the figures, and blaming the army (it wasn't the army that did all this, it was the people in the Army and those people are your brothers, sisters, husbands, fathers, wives, mothers, etc...The ARMY did not sire, nor raise, nor provide the social training for these jerks in uniform...They came right off the streets! (Why did no-one report that 95% of the complaints were based on black NCOs raping, molesting and harassing white female recruits?) Anyhow the Army is a reflection of society! The army should not be condemned for the actions of a few, 'cause the army didn't do all that stuff....a few slime balls did it and should be hung by their whatevers until....but that isn't legal anymore... But I damn sure can tell you that if my daughter was one of those that was molested or raped...I would cut the b***s off the offending person and give him a few hours to consider his fate... However if my daughter allowed herself to be sexually harassed, I would tell her that she has no business in any career field where she can't take care of herself. Of course I taught her to do what girls did when they really meant "NO" when I was dating...Knock the hell out of the offending party, and let him know that if he did not accept "NO" her family would make him regret it! Most of Aberdeen is Bulls*** from the media and the men haters who compete for other women's attention, but it is a damn shame that it happened...Where are the families of these girls? --RAG--

Submitted: 18 Nov 96:

They are going to find that it happens alot more often then is reported. I served 18 years in the Air Force and have been a victim of harassment. Back when it was happening to me you had to have witnesses. Right like someone is going to do or say whatever they do or say in front of others. Sometimes a women just has to ignore it or shrug it off. I was talking to a civilian who never was in and he said to me "Well she can always get out!" But I told him why should it have to be the women that gets out. Why should she have to give up her career because of some XXXXX that decides to harass her.

Submitted 13 Nov 96, Harassment at Aberdeen:

To the former Marine: You're right, it has gotten out of hand. Too easy for false allegations? Perhaps. But after twenty years in the Navy, I assure you there are far more incidents that go unreported than there are false allegations. As for the Army Captain in charge of recruits at Aberdeen, he was interviewed by local news media in Washington, DC and admitted he had sex with one of his recruits, but that it was consentual. Puleeze! I've been through boot camp. I know the fear and anxiety of being thrown into a military atmosphere where one false move can land you in a heap of feces. And this man really thinks the recruit felt empowered to deny him? I think not.

Submitted 10 Nov 96, Harassment at Aberdeen

This letter is in regards to the allegations made by numerous women passing through Aberdeen Training Center. I find it absolutely incomprehensible that other men who are supposedly "good" men, do not take these kinds of matters more seriously. It is becoming more evident to me as a civilian, why men act the way they do to women. It's becoming more evident to women, that men do not wish to have a more cohesive and growing relationship w/us, nor with nature. I've got news "boys", in order to be men, you need the following characteristics: courage, love, honesty, bravery, growth, strength in many forms, and just being a descent human being to all others. I know this is hard for the male gender to comprehend, but you're more evolved now and we're no longer in pre-Hellenic times. Men need training about sexual harassment--why is that? What's so difficult about treating people with respect!! I just hope that someone, who is a very descent individual and is good, nails these men. Because if the "good" men continue to let their gender swagger and degrade, you will all be categorized as the "same".

Submitted by a former Marine, 10 Nov 96:

I think this problem has gotten too far out of hand and far too easy for women to bring this up and to falsely accuse men .. As one who was falsely accused, I think it is wrong that the woman is believed before the facts are gathered.. And as for the problem at Aberdeen if you think this is only happening at that location you are blind..Look at your Boot Camps were you have men and women training together and at all your Training Camps.. and while you are at you better look at all your Bases.

Submitted 30 Oct 96 in response to 17 Oct 96 response.

It is obvious the point here is not the baby-sitting assistance provided to someone in need. I think it is very clear, that the point is...using false allegations of harassment as a means of retaliation is a danger that should not be tolerated in the military or civilian community.

I think it is quite fortunate, considering the allegations, that the accuser did request the service woman to baby-sit after the alleged offense. If I was afraid of someone and felt they posed a danger to me, I certainly would not request them to baby-sit my kids. I don't care how many or how few years I had in the service. I see logic is not commensurate with time in service.

Submitted: 17 Oct 96 in response to active duty senior NCO submission of 14 Sep 96

Was this female E-4 your subordinate? If so you shouldn't have been babysitting for her children or doing any other personal favor. Just like you should never borrow or loan money to a subordinate. Anyone that you write a performance appraisal on should not become a recipient of personal favors. I retired 2 years ago & don't think things in the military have changed to permit such favors as babysitting.

Submitted: 14 Sep 96 by an active duty senior NCO:

I have proudly served in the Air Force for 19 years. I have an outstanding military career. I have never received a verbal or written counseling throughout my career. My superiors have always identified me as a strong performer and my performance reports support this. I have always provided outstanding support to all the personnel under my supervision. I have a reputation that supports this and my character has never come in to question.

Recently however, I have been the subject of false allegations from two female E-4s. I am a MSgt (an E-7). Initially, the two senior airmen (SrA) voiced their displeasure concerning how they felt I had mishandled a promotion test date. Days later the two females launched false allegations of sexual harassment. One alleges the offense occurred one year ago. The other SrA alleges the offense happened Dec 95 - Jan 96. This SrA requested I babysit her two children, one female and one male, for the entire month of March 96 and a portion of April 96. I agreed as she was experiencing financial and babysitting difficulties. After she succeeded in using me to the fullest, she alleged I harassed her, pawed her, threatened her career, all prior to her entrusting the care of her helpless, defenseless, children in my care.

I have a question for other mothers out there. How many of you, if you felt someone harassed, pawed, threatened, or intimidated you, would entrust the care of your children to this person?

My point is: When people use the complaint of harassment of any sort as a means of retaliation, this trivializes true offenses that do occur. These false allegations ultimately become themselves, a weapon of harassment. This further detracts from the effort our great civil rights' leaders have fought so hard for: To ensure and guarantee an environment free from discrimination and harassment and equal opportunity for all.

This also sends a message to all supervisors in all military services, that if you dare do your duty to correct substandard performance or the infractions of your subordinates, then you better be prepared for your folks to retaliate. You can be sure they will, especially if you have a commander who has no courage and who will allow himself to be intimidated with a social actions complaint.

Commanders who allow false allegations sends a message to military members that if your supervisor does not handle a situation that is to your liking then the door is open for you to retaliate. Because, as your commander, I am up for promotion, therefore, I will avoid a social actions complaint at all costs and will turn the other head.

Commanders who feel they can operate under no restraint and are more concerned with appearances and a social actions complaint are a danger to all military personnel. Don't count on senior leadership to stand behind you when a complaint is brought forth and also display the integrity all military members are required to possess.

I always thought we were here to ensure and protect the interests of our Country. Not our personal interests. I must have missed something. Supervisor's in my unit, especially, will not jeopardize their careers to correct any infractions from here on out because they know they are in a unit whose senior leadership will look the other way and protect their jobs. Commander's who feel it is at their discretion to obey military and civil laws and Air Force and DoD publications, and blatantly defy our Commander in Chief's orders are a danger to the entire Armed Forces.

Women, if you are harassed, then report it. However, those of you who are not, but rather use false allegations as a means of retaliation, then, realize your childish vindictiveness trivializes true offenses that do occur and takes away from the credibility of these women who do suffer harassment.

God forbid, your mother, daughter, or sister will have to suffer false allegations and then find themselves caught up in a helpless and hopeless political situation surrounded by people with no courage because [someone] wanted to retaliate.

I am still pursuing to try to clear my name and doing my utmost to ensure this never happens to another military person, man or woman. We'll see if accountability is straight across the board.

Submitted: 14 Sep 96 by an active duty woman

Yes we do have base agencies, installation IGs, command IGs, Congressional offices, offices of President, Vice President, and First Lady. Who in the world do you contact when your social actions office says they can't interfere with a commander who can operate under no restraints, a command IG who searches for answers to justify a commander's actions, an installation IG who refuses to acknowledge you, and no responses from government leaders? If the purpose of the Air Force system is to allow its members to wait, receive no responses, be ignored, be told they can't stop a commander who feels he can operate under no restraints, the system works because this is what has happened to me. As an active duty AF member, I am entitled to due process and equal protection under the laws.

Submitted: 12 Sep 96 by an Army Reservist

When I was in my military police AIT, conducted by a reserve training BDE at Fort Meade, MD; a few days before the graduation the training officer, a Major, called me into his office. He told me if I slept with him, I would graduate as the honor student. I refused.

When graduation day came, the Drill Sgts picked a guy out of the platoon while marching to the graduation site to be the honor graduate. I had the highest score for all the training, was told by the Drill they thought I was to be the honor grad but the Major had ordered that I not be.

Ten years later, while a 1LT, a Major again harassed me. This guy was a civilian judge and like me, an activated reservist for Desert Storm. I had the flu and asked for a night off before the big ground offensive began. He told me if I wrote him an erotic letter I could have the night off. I said no, that was unprofessional and I would not do that. (I took the night off anyhow.) For days he harassed me for that letter, told my soldiers, peers, and superiors I worked with that I was going to and even showed me a letter he had harassed a NCO to write for him.

Finally he dropped it, not without fully humiliating me in front of my soldiers and undermining my authority as an officer first though. He threatened my OER if I hadn't written the letter and followed through on that threat.

An investigation showed he admitted asking for the letter and the investigator recommended action for conduct unbecoming an officer...the ARCOM general disregarded the investigator's report and accepted the denial the "officer" claimed.

Now, I tell soldiers to never use the EEO office to file a complaint. Go to the MPs, file a compliant for every possible charge in the UCMJ that can apply. That generates a trail of paperwork that even if the jerk gets away with your incident, maybe not the next time.

Submitted: 23 Jul 96 by an AF veteran in response to the 20 Jul 96 Navy submission:

I agree with your last statement. I had my own sexual harassing experience in the 1976 timeframe. I was an E-2 (a few months fresh out of technical school) and still at that "in awe of officers stage." During a training exercise, late in the wee hours of the morning, I had the occasion to be alone with a major. I was a mail courier on my way to the command post, he was going that way, it was cold, rainy, something like that, so he offered me a lift. Bingo for him! Right away, he started telling me how attractive I was, and how about it if I let my hair down (literally, since I had long hair and wore it pinned up) so he could see it. I was taken aback, said no, and the subject was dropped. He didn't bother me anymore and we rode in near silence to my destination. Since he was only TDY for the exercise, I didn't have to be bothered seeing him anymore after the exercise. During the remainder of the exercise, he acted totally professional. Fortunately for me this was not a "grabbing" event; there was no physical contact. Nonetheless, it was harassing and demeaning. Using my 18-year old "I'm not sure what to do, who will believe me? I'll see if it continues," infinite wisdom and best judgment at the time (in hindsight, I'm sure it was more of a fear factor), I didn't report this to anyone. But it left an indelible mark and served a good lesson in which I would not let anyone put me in that position again--regardless of rank.

Submitted: 20 Jul 96 by a Navy veteran:

In 1979, I was attending OCS in Newport, RI. As a black female I was one of a handful there. While attending the Officers' Club there I was approached by a foreign officer who assumed I was a "pick up." All that evening, myself and another were pulled at and pinched. I was prior enlisted and had gained the respect of my classmates. It made me feel great when one of my male classmates told the officer, either treat her like an officer or get out. At times male officers can be worse at harassing you. They tend to do it when there are no witnesses.

Submitted: 1 Apr 96 by a Navy veteran:

I was in the Navy during the 60's and in reading the woman MP's story, not much has changed, there will always be men that have very little respect for a woman in uniform but I met many more that were very happy we were there, some went out of their way to make us feel welcome and needed.

I had some rough times with a few men, for the most part I was to blame, letting the flirtations get out of hand and sometimes just being at the wrong place at the wrong time. (blind dates were hell !)

I was never raped or beaten, I could talk, walk or punch my way out of a situation I didn't want to be in. Best thing to survive is to keep your sense of humor and say NO ! That's advice to the women in the service now.

Submitted: 11 Feb 96 by a former Army MP:

I spent six years on active duty and three years in the reserves. For the most part, I didn't experience too much in the way of sexual harassment, but then again one incident can be too much. Since I have been a full-time civilian for almost three years, I will cover those that still to this day upset me.

1. As an MP, I resented the fact that my male peers (fellow MPs) considered the female MPs their property. If we chose to date outside our career field, we received various forms of harassment, in my case it was limited to verbal harassment, but I saw many females coerced into dating (or not dating) from a certain group of guys.

2. On the same par as above, but service-wide, I remember certain stinging remarks when I chose to date an officer or a local civilian, for some reasons I was considered military enlisted property, just because I was an enlisted soldier.

3. In the job performance category, the first time I went to perform a customs inspection (in Germany, all soldiers returning to US, had to have their shipments inspected prior to return) at an infantry barracks (read all male, no females allowed in barracks), I was told I could not enter the barracks. After a lengthy discussion, it was finally decided I could enter with a male escort.

4. As customs inspectors, we were not allowed to carry firearms because our job was deemed not dangerous enough, however, all female inspectors, and only female inspectors, were required to carry mace. I read this as a vision of how little we trust male soldiers to control themselves and how little we trust female soldiers to handle an incident, of course, we are talking possible rape here, but shouldn't all soldiers in the same situation be required to carry mace (any number of incidents can require the use of mace). Luckily, during my time I never had to use the mace, nor did any of my fellow sister customs inspectors.

5. I remember repeatedly requesting that one of my platoon sergeants quit calling me and fellow female soldiers by our first names. He never did get the hang of it, you know, rank and last name, just like he referred to the males, but our repeated requests did quiet down our male peers, who saw it as a form of preferential treatment.

6. I was repeatedly hit on by various soldiers while trying to do my job. Luckily, with most, it stopped at harmless flirtation, but a few became nasty. It is amazing how the statement, "I am an MP on official duty, we can either finish this in a professional manner, or we can go downstairs and have a talk with your First Sergeant" does wonders to snap a soldier back into line.

7. I was extremely upset when informed that no females would be allowed on a mission to Luxembourg; we were told that they would be staying at a Luxembourg Army Base (this was before they allowed females in the Luxembourg Military and yes it was in the 1980s). When the mission was over, one of the males let it slip that they stayed in a hotel. Needless to say I was very verbal about this, but it went no where, so the next time we had the anonymous unit survey, I eloquently put the facts and my opinions in writing and signed my name. From then on out females were allowed on our unit missions.

8. The worst case, and an outright disgusting set of incidents, involved a supply sergeant in my first unit. He made extreme explicit verbal comments to me and even one time countered my request for supplies with a request of his own (indicating that was the only way I was going to get the supplies). My usual self, balked and joked at the idea, not taking it seriously, and eventually (after much persistence) I did get the supplies without "paying" him. Unfortunately, I did not see this for what it was. It turned out that he had done this to every junior enlisted female in the unit and it had actually worked a couple of times. The sad thing is that he was already being kicked out of the service for other reasons and so our commander chose not to prosecute, even though when the events came to light (about the females he'd coerced into having sex with him), all those involved were willing to make statements.

9. Back to the military dating world, if you repeatedly turn down dates, you'll be labeled a lesbian, whether it is true or not. If you are seen off duty with a guy, you must be sleeping with him. If you go out with one guy in a unit, be assured that when his back is turned, one or more of his buddies/co-workers will hit on you. I could go on and on, basically, they are the same dating assumptions as civilians have, and I find them downright hilarious.

Basically, sexual harassment in the military exists just as it does outside the military. If faced with sexual harassment, you need to be able to analyze the situation, can you handle it with words or do you need to take it further? Is the situation obvious harassment, or do you need to inform the harasser that you are offended? Remember, harassment is in the eye of the beholder, but the harasser has to be aware that he is harassing you. Often calmly verbalizing your dislike of an incident, event, action, word, can stop things before they get out of hand. I think I adequately handled all of the above situations, except number 8. If I could relive those incidents, I'd have been in my first sergeant's office before the incident was over. Unfortunately, some of my peers weren't able to verbally disarm the situation as I had done. I guess, I feel a twinge of guilt, if I had complained there would have been two less soldiers that I know of to fall prey to that slimy supply sergeant. And, what if I hadn't been so strong? What if I'd fallen prey to his coercions?

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