Harassment Issues -

to be upheld by all military personnel. Unfortunately, I have encountered only a limited number of leaders that lived by that same ethos. Throughout my career, I faced several senior leaders regarding violators of DoD policies only to see the charges dismissed, the offenders slapped on the wrist, or I was simply told that I was over reacting.

This lack of ethical leadership is what is creating an environment that undermines human dignity and trust and respect for others. Too many leaders today are more concerned with protecting their careers than with doing the right thing. Many leaders do not deal with incompetent personnel or controversial issues because it's too hard, too time consuming, or may create a problem with their career.

I challenge everyone in leadership positions (male or female) to take a stand and uphold all the rules and regulations. Let's get leadership back on the ethical track. Make integrity, honor, morals, courage, and honesty more than mere words. If you see injustice, take appropriate action and don't quit fighting the system until the right thing is done. Don't be part of the problem be the solution. We need to stop turning a blind eye to injustice and inept leadership. The members of the Armed Forces cannot perform their mission as a team if they cannot trust and depend on each other to do the right thing.

I've been in the Army for over six years. At my first duty station, I was climbing up the ladder in record time. In 1996 I came to Germany and everything seemed to fall apart. I became pregnant therefore was denied PLDC so I could be promoted. I was also labeled a useless soldier because I couldn't do anything. After delivery, I came back to pass my PT test with flying colors (290). That was not good enough, I was told that I needed to

pass three more in a six month period before I could go to school. I made the cutoff a year before so this was really an unusual practice. When I passed my third test, I was told MISSION FIRST and had to go to Croatia. To make a long story short, I finally made it to school and got my stripes. All was going well till I got a change of rater. Within six months of this NCO being in charge of me, I went from a Exceptional soldier to a dirt bag.

He would verbally as well as mentally abuse me. He would never look at me or assist me with any issues. I reported these incidents all the way up my chain of command including my congressman. Needless to say I am now a SPEC again and am being kicked out of the Army. Zero Tolerance/ Call your congressman/IG YEA RIGHT!!!

Posted: 12 Nov 99: "A Captain Leaves the Army Dental Corps After One Year and 4 Months"

I was stationed at Fort X from 1 June 1998 until 16 July 1999. I am so glad that I left. I was dental officer, worked my butt off to make a difference and left after repeated experiences of racism, mistreatment, harassment, reprisal, threats, all the lowdown things that DO take place in the military. Sometimes it hurts to think that I signed away my life on a dotted line to serve my country and was treated like a second class system. I was literally thrown into the system my first day at work and hardly anyone wanted to work with me to help me as a new officer who had never before been a part of the military. I wanted to make it a career but now I'm a civilian dentist and wouldn't trade it for anything in the world. I am making an effort each day to get my story out to the public so that America will truly see what goes on in some areas of the military. The Lord took me through it for a reason and I'm certainly going to do something so that no one else goes through the most humiliating and depressing situations that I did. Wake up people. What people are reporting is real. This is why recruiting is at an all time low. Treat people with respect and maybe they'll stick around.

Where do people find out about the current drive to establish a class action suit against DOD regarding its action or lack there of regarding domestic violence cases in the military and its families? The Air Force has a tremendous load of cases to explain from my own experiences with them since the 1970s. Anyone willing to discuss this? Any place have information?

I am a proud veteran of the USAF. I served on active duty from 1971-79 and Reserve duty from 1979-87. I was in Protocol and later crosstrained to the Historian field where I spent all of my Reserve time as well. Early in my career, I was subjected to unwanted kisses, touches and comments. I put an end to it most of the time. Where I was most harmed was by my own husband (at that time--I am now divorced for 9 years) who was violent, unfaithful and successful in his career. He served as a first sergeant, medal winner and his sexual escapades rivaled any pilot's doofer book entries!!! I never made a complaint. I never talked. I even worked for commanders and watched as they did their duties to punish abusers and I never spoke. I watched as my friends, neighbors and coworkers were victimized by their spouses/partners and their fear of turning the sponsor in because of the loss of THEIR job, housing, medical care. I saw women suffer injuries and possible STDs bestowed upon them by their unfaithful partners and military doctors who ignored the situation--they treated infections but never spoke of how the woman may have contracted infections through a monogamous relationship. I saw doctors ignore a pregnant woman's testimony about spousal abuse and make no referrals. I love the Air Force. I was very successful and received great experiences BUT DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND SEXUAL ASSAULT are poisons that the government are only now willing to talk about. As a social worker in the field of domestic violence and sexual assault now and a community educator--I am tremendously interested in the "so-called" statistics that DOD is producing and the false assurance that the problems are in control. I would be happy to communicate with anyone regarding these experiences; better yet, I would be very happy to pursue action at educating society of the military's "secrets".

I wanted to respond to the woman who discussed her continual sexual harassment during her Army enlistment... I believe your story 100%!!! I myself have filed a claim for PTSD following an in-service Abduction/Rape Trauma. The "Boys Club Mentality" perpetuates the occurrence of rape, as well as adding to the emotional injuries of the rape victim. This kind of behavior is deplorable and the only changes will come from the Sisters who fight TOGETHER!!! I will keep posting with as much support as I can muster - so very grateful to see the courage and convictions of my sister soldiers - the fight continues long into civilian life - once a vet, always a vet! With Love - A Sister

I sent in my own story of rape to this web site almost 2 years ago. I was raped at Army ROTC Basic Camp at Ft. Knox. Even after that I had grand plans of continuing my career with the Army. I had plans of ensuring that the bad image of the Army would change with the kind of female leadership I wanted to bring in. I knew in my heart that what happened to me was the actions of one man and not the Army that I grew up loving. Since that time my opinion has changed. I was harassed continuously the three years I was in ROTC after Basic Camp. I was continuously made to understand that a woman's place was not in "their" Army.

My Professor of Military Science (a LTC) even went as far as making fun of the Army's sexual harassment video he was ordered to show all cadets. I was appalled, and realized then that the Army will never change because of incidents like that. Every male cadet in that room was laughing at the tape by the end of the showing, while I sat there trying my hardest not to scream at that LTC for perpetuating the problem. Every one of those cadets was taught sexual harassment that day, every single one is a LT in the Army today, and I would be the least surprised to see one of them in the next Army scandal. The LTC in question is also still in the Army. I on the other hand was kicked out of ROTC a week before my commissioning ceremony. The same LTC in question even had the nerve to tell me that he wish that he had "kicked me out after Basic Camp like he wanted to". The only bad mark on me after Basic Camp was that I had told on a Drill Sergeant. However, I'll be the first to admit that the actions that led up to my release were totally my fault. I failed my commissioning PT test. It was the only thing I could think to do to rid myself of an eight-year commitment in hell. It still upsets me that I had to become a failure in my eyes and everyone elses to avoid a life that I knew would kill me. To this day I still wish I could have served my country as an Army officer, but I hate to admit that the Army isn't ready for women. I can only hope that one day things will change, and all female soldiers can serve next to male soldiers without fear, intimidation, and sexual attacks. Unfortunately, all of this has made me pessimistic to the possibilities of that every happening. I only wanted to write into this web site again because I wanted people to realize that things haven't changed in the Army. It's not in the media anymore, but I didn't want people to think that meant things had changed.

Thank you for your advice. The whole situation occurred as I was getting ready to leave, but from what I understand, a few of the females actually did go to IG, but nothing helpful happened with that. From what I heard later, it seems IG over there was just plain lazy. Some of my fellow soldiers went through IG at another unit for different problems and we saw a favorable outcome, so I know that course can be helpful. It's been a year since the move and they are still putting lower enlisted and subordinates in the same rooms with their NCO's. In my situation, since I was leaving a few months after the move, they thought it was ok to put my soldiers in my room, even though I was still their squad leader up until the last two weeks. After the initial comments from our Brigade EO, most of the females were too scared to make any more formal complaints. One of the SSGTs received some negative backlash from her command during her promotion board process (even though she is an excellent soldier) and that also scared most of the others even more. What it all came down to was a lot of intimidation from above to quite us down and it really upsets me that they could get away with it like that when it was clear they were breaking regulations.

You do not say which service you are in, but you talk like an Army NCO. So, if you are not, this may or may not apply. The Army has regulations covering the quarters entitlement of each rank. If your unit is housing senior NCOs with subordinates (which is in violation of the new fraternization policy) and giving larger barracks rooms to junior enlisted personnel, that is not an EO issue. Go see your IG, which will not jeopardize your career, and have them look into the issue. The IG is required to investigate allegations of regulations violations. Just remember, you may not like the answer they come up with - they do not make things go your way, they make the Army follow the regs.

Despite a report of investigation substantiating my claim of sexual harassment by a superior NCO, despite waiting for six years for a resolution to my complaints, and despite trusting in the military when they had given me no reason to, I have been repeatedly misled and mistreated. The Army's statement of no tolerance of sexual harassment is a joke.

What happened to me and some of my fellow soldiers was not a typical harassment case, but discrimination. It involved NCO barracks in a hardship tour assignment. At one point, our 1SG and SGM decided that all the female NCO's living in the barracks (we had one floor in one building) should move to the lower enlisted barracks and room with our subordinates so that they could open up our old single person rooms to lower enlisted males who "may" try to get promoted to SGT at some time or another. Half of the males made no effort to try to get promoted and the remaining half could have been put into already available rooms. We had to cram into three person rooms (some with their subordinates) so that these lower enlisted males could have their own rooms. All of the female NCO's from the floor (and even a few who didn't live in the barracks) went to Brigade EO and we were told "that if we want to further our careers in the Army, we should never go to EO again." Most of the women were scared away from the fight after that and there weren't enough of us left to finish the fight. Most of the lower enlisted females in our barracks lost any desire to pursue promotions to SGT (at least temporarily) because the way we all saw the situation was that the Command views females of any rank not good enough to even the lower enlisted male.

Way back in 1959 while I was in the marine corps we had separate training facilities at Parris Island, in fact we had our very own battalion, and I never ever experienced any problems with harassment while there. I then spent the rest of my enlistment at camp Lejeune and again we had our own protected barracks we had a walking male guard from 1800 hours to 0700 hours but back then we were told we were marines first and ladies second the only form of harassment were men yelling lewd & lascivious comments as we went about our business - the favorite comment was "there goes a rabbit – BAM BAM - "broad assed marine" -I never let it bother me & would yell back - yeah right I'm fat asses. The biggest problem were blind dates - but we always made it double dates & when the male got too forward - he would get stopped immediately. We always had a night watch and they had to patrol the barracks interior every hour and make sure all of the doors were locked. I can never remember anyone being sexually harassed or attacked. If this did happen it was kept so quiet that no one ever knew . We were well protected & I do believe that men & women cannot train or sleep together. I found 3 types of females in the USMC. Those who firmly believed in serving their country and doing a good job. Those who became marines to find husbands, and those who became marines for personal reasons and had what today would not be considered loose morals. I have read much about sexual harassment & a strong determined women can stop it in it's tracks, but most young women haven't learned how to control the advances. We the women have to teach the men how we want to be treated. Yes, I know that my statements will stir up a fire storm yes it is wrong for men to beat & rape women but also a lot of men in the service have no other place to go and are only a step or two away from prison - they are low life and have no morals and should be locked up. Some were recruited just to fill quotas and this is true especially of the army who recruit far more than the marine corps, but most or some of the men and women in the military are not of the best character or morals. We can blame this on their up bringing or we can realize that there are people who just are not decent humans and are low life. If I offend you with my comments think long and hard and remember you and only you know the truth and hard facts of yourself.

P.S. Let it be known that I loved my 3 years in the marines and would never ever give it up and will always be proud of being a marine. Semper Fi. Good luck to all sexes in the military

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Harassment Issues -- File #4, 1999