Information on Military Sexual Trauma

MST, Women Veterans and Homelessness

2011-09-16T21:48:00.002-04:00

HOMELESS WOMEN VETERANS NEED MORE CLINICAL RESOURCES, OPEN EARS

via http://coalitionforveterans.org
Coalition for Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans

Paulina Hicks has always done things systematically. She went to college for civil engineering, enlisted in the military out of veritable love of her country and always kept a cinched-tight savings account. Now, as a former military officer, she can’t quite understand how her life escaped her fixed grip, forcing her to assume a new title: homeless veteran.

I meet with Hicks at her home in Cabrillo Villages, a U.S. Vets-funded women’s living center in Long Beach, Calif. She’s friendly and circumspect all at once, but she eases into talking by passing me some papers — face down and neatly stapled. The papers contain a few excerpts from her impassioned journal, recounting how she was verbally and physically assaulted and raped during her nine years in the service, leading to PTSD, homelessness and living in her car.

For the first time, Hicks is sharing the details of her story. She’s opened up some with her therapist, but she says even with her family, she’s become a good “faker”.

“Our families are expecting the same person to come back home, but the ones who served know we never come back home the same. The individual is gone for good,” she writes in her journal. “I didn’t tell my family anything out of shame and the pity I felt for myself for what I’ve had to endure.”

Hicks, who’s in her 30s, was often the only female doing in-flight management special operations in the Air Force and civil engineering in the Navy. But her plight is far from unique.

The federal government’s first-ever Veteran Homelessness study released earlier this year revealed veterans are 50 percent more likely to become homeless than other Americans. What’s more, the report states, “Female veterans are twice as likely to be in the homeless population as they are to be the U.S. adult female population.”

President Obama’s administration has called for the end of veteran homelessness by 2015. But that won’t be possible unless more is done to understand and tackle the complexities of homelessness, says Victoria Curtin, program director at the Naomi House, a Veterans Affairs-funded recovery-oriented program for female vets in Los Angeles. She says more help is needed to address the unique challenges women vets face and the reasons they become homeless.

Some of these female vet-specific issues include having to leave children when they enlist, dealing with custody battles upon returning and recovering in shame from military sexual trauma, Curtin says. She insists more clinical help is needed for female vets and that too often women’s programs attempt to mirror men’s programs. Typically, help for men is geared toward drug and alcohol abuse and addiction.

“Alcohol and drugs are just the aftermath of the trauma,” she points out. “You could deal with the drugs and the alcohol as far as teaching them to stay away from it, but you’re not getting to the core issue of why they’re using it.”

“I’ll do whatever it takes”

Paulina Hicks didn’t battle with substance abuse. “I barely even swear,” she jokes, as she pulls at her green earrings that match her sea foam-colored cardigan.

She tells me the story of being raped at an air show by an officer she knew only by the planes he flew: F14s. “Of course, I’ll never forget his face,” she says. Hicks tells me she was also raped by someone who broke into her dormitory when she was stationed in Texas. And she describes how she was verbally and physically assaulted by a superior in Oregon while she worked with him every day for three years in a secured room the size of a kitchen. She reported a few incidences of verbal abuse, which were loosely investigated. But she kept most things a secret.

Hicks is far from alone. Last month, it was widely reported that two men and 15 women sued the Department of Defense for allowing a military culture that fails to prevent rape. A Pentagon spokesman said in a statement that “sexual assault is a wider societal problem” and that Secretary of Defense Robert Gates was working to ensure that the military was “doing all it can to prevent and respond to it,” according to the New York Times.

“I was the only female and my job was classified. It was top secret. You fear for life a lot of times,” Hicks explains to me. “I constantly reevaluated everything as to whether I should suck it up or take the risk of saying something. I sucked it up for a while; I just thought, ‘I’ll do whatever it takes.’”

She dealt with it by sneaking out of town on her time off and just hiding — existing, really, she says — in a hotel. She volunteered for temporary duty assignments overseas whenever possible. “Saudi Arabia, anywhere a few times a year to get away.”

When Hicks reached her breaking point, she told her commander she was resigning, saying she was going back to school. She left at the end of 2008 and had three potential jobs lined up — one of which was in the nuclear civil engineering department at Pearl Harbor. But the economy took a turn that fall and she got a shocking one-line email saying she wouldn’t be needed after all.

She lived with family in Northern California and did odd jobs, even applying to waitressing positions and volunteering at homeless shelters.

“I remember volunteering at a soup kitchen and seeing the homeless people, thinking it was heartbreaking.”

Hicks moved into the Long Beach housing unit last year. She tells a story of living with a family of five, with whom she’d share food and supplies when their money was tight.

“I don’t know where God gave me the strength to help people as broken as I am,” she said. “But we only have each other.”

Identity Crisis

One of the women Hicks lives with is Jennifer John, whose 15-year-old daughter is also a resident. John, who was in the military for four years, has been homeless since 2006. When we sit down to talk, she’s boisterous and unrestrained with smart, snappy opinions. Then in the next breath, she reveals, softly, many of the hardships she’s faced that are unique to being a female veteran.

When John, 42, left Kelly Air Force Base in Texas in 1993, she went back to her home in the Caribbean for a brief stint. But set on making it on her own, she returned to Texas. Within a couple years, she met her then-husband, got married and had a daughter. In addition to the misfortune of enduring some financial problems, she says she felt somewhat of an identity crisis after being accustomed to such a harsh, regimented lifestyle — only to switch gears into being a mother and wife.

“You’re trying to be your tough self but also a nurturer,” she explains. “My husband would say, ‘OK now you’re trying to tell me how to do my job as husband and dad.’”

John admits one of her most trying problems was feeling lost adjusting to civilian life. “When you’re in the service, everything’s structured with different rules and laws, things you don’t do or say. But then you get out, and if you don’t have right structure, you’re lost, like in a washing machine,” she tells me, spinning her water bottle around, then wringing her hands.

The government’s report released this year said minority veterans were more likely to be homeless, especially African-Americans. John agrees and says she’s seen this firsthand. “That’s who joins the military to escape from the negative environment they were brought up in,” she says. “They say, ‘I don’t want to be on welfare and when I leave, I will never look back.’” John says she’s seen the struggles of someone who comes from a troubled background and enlists, only to return to the same situation, not having gained a sense of direction.

John is in school for social work and would like to open her own housing center for homeless female vets one day.

Looking Ahead

Hicks is actively trying to find a job and move out on her own. She’s started seeing a therapist to deal with her PTSD, revealing her experiences little by little. “She cries whenever we talk. Shouldn’t it be the other way around?” she laughs.

Hicks says she herself hasn’t cried in years. Not even when she was forced to live in her car for weeks. At that point, she says she felt so much pain that she thought she was undergoing a heart attack. “I was waiting to drop,” she says. “I just kept driving and driving and driving, not knowing where to go and what to do. I stayed in a hotel for three days, just sitting on the bed — just blank, blank, blank.”

It’s this kind of progress that Hicks is making with her therapist that Curtin says is a real solution. The Salvation Army has hired more clinicians — as opposed to just case managers — who can address the issues of psychological trauma, but they still have a ways to go, Curtin says.

“We need money. If we had the money, I could get more clinicians in here,” she says of the Naomi House. “If we don’t have clinicians to meet with women, we’re just cycling. If Obama is serious about ending homelessness, then programs need funding.”

Even Hicks, who prides herself in being a rock, agrees that dealing with all of her trauma is not something she can do on her own.

“When I realized I lost everything, I was shocked,” she says. “I’ve been shocked before because of what I’ve seen in my work, but then you have adrenaline. This was different; it was just me and my emotions.”
This article is part of AOL and Huffington Post’s Military Families Week series, an effort to put a spotlight on the issues affecting the lives of America’s families who serve. Find more at jobs.aol.com/militaryfamilies and aol.com.

2011-09-15T13:09:00.001-04:00

Almost One Third of Iraq/Afghanistan Women Veterans with PTSD Report Military Sexual Trauma, Researchers Find

Source:
USCF Research
Steve Tokar
steve.tokar@ncire.org
415-221-4810 x5202

Thirty-one percent of women veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan who were diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder reported military sexual trauma (MST), in contrast to one percent of men with PTSD, according to a study led by Shira Maguen, PhD, a psychologist at the San Francisco VA Medical Center.

Both men and women veterans with PTSD who reported MST were more likely to be diagnosed with other mental health disorders. Women were more likely to be diagnosed with depression, anxiety and eating disorders, while men were more likely to be diagnosed with substance use disorders.

After adjusting for demographic and military service characteristics, the researchers determined that women veterans reporting MST were four times more likely to develop PTSD than women not reporting MST.

The authors emphasize that since they investigated health records, rather than conducting a longitudinal study tracking the occurrence of MST and PTSD in people over time, they were not able to identify a cause-and-effect relationship between MST and PTSD.

The study appeared on September 12, 2011 in the online Articles in Press Section of Women’s Health Issues.

In the VA system, MST is defined as uninvited and unwanted sexual attention and/or the use of force or threat of force resulting in unwilling sexual contact.

“In light of the significant proportion of women with PTSD who report MST, it is fortunate that existing VA protocols for treating PTSD are known to be effective in dealing with sexual trauma,” said Maguen, who is also an assistant clinical professor of psychiatry at the University of California, San Francisco. “Nonetheless, this is an important public health issue that deserves continued attention in order to ensure the best possible care for returning veterans with PTSD who have experienced MST.”

The study authors recommend that the VA continue to develop new treatment protocols that target PTSD, depression and substance use disorders.

The study examined the health records of 213,803 veterans who were first-time users of the VA health care system. Of all the veterans, 74,493 were diagnosed with PTSD. Of the 7,255 women in that group, 2,240 women reported MST.

The authors caution that MST did not necessarily occur during combat, but could have happened at any time during military service, and that perpetrators were not necessarily U.S. military personnel.

A previous study by other researchers showed a 15 percent MST rate among female Iraq and Afghanistan veterans in the VA health care system; that study did not look at MST among veterans diagnosed with PTSD.

Women play an increasingly important role in the US military, Maguen noted, comprising 12 percent of the forces sent to Iraq and Afghanistan, 15 percent of active military personnel and 17 percent of National Guard and Reserve personnel.

“Even though women are technically restricted to combat support roles, in practice they see combat, carry weapons, witness killing and are generally exposed to much more trauma than women in earlier wars,” said Maguen.

Co-authors of the study are Beth Cohen, MD, MAS, of SFVAMC and UCSF; Li Ren, MS, and Jeane Bosch, MPH, of SFVAMC; Rachel Kimerling, PhD, of VA Palo Alto Health Care System; and Karen Seal, MD, MPH, of SFVAMC and UCSF.

The study was supported by funds from the Department of Defense, the VA, and the National Institutes of Health, some of which were administered by the Northern California Institute for Research and Education.

NCIRE - The Veterans Health Research Institute - is the largest research institute associated with a VA medical center. Its mission is to improve the health and well-being of veterans and the general public by supporting a world-class biomedical research program conducted by the UCSF faculty at SFVAMC.

SFVAMC has the largest medical research program in the national VA system, with more than 200 research scientists, all of whom are faculty members at UCSF.

UCSF is a leading university dedicated to promoting health worldwide through advanced biomedical research, graduate-level education in the life sciences and health professions, and excellence in patient care.

Justice for Women Veterans

2011-09-12T15:13:00.000-04:00

Editorial in today's New York Times:

Women in the military who are sexually assaulted or harassed face obstacles not seen in the civilian workplace. They can’t decide to take time off or quit, often have no way to avoid a predatory colleague or supervisor, and certainly in combat zones, no way to visit the human resources department. They often work in a culture that has long tolerated misogynistic behavior. And they can be further traumatized by the indifference or hostility of the bureaucracy that is supposed to help them.

Servicewomen and veterans say they often struggle unsuccessfully to obtain health care and benefits related to sexual violence they endured while in uniform. The Service Women’s Action Network, an advocacy group, last year sued the Pentagon and Department of Veterans Affairs under the Freedom of Information Act for documentation on their handling of sexual assaults. The group says the V.A.’s own data bears out the charge of unfair treatment. While the Veterans Benefits Administration approves 53 percent of all claims related to post-traumatic stress disorder, it accepts far fewer claims — only 32 percent — when the P.T.S.D. is related to sexual trauma.

Other national veterans’ groups are also urging the V.A. to make it easier for survivors of sexual trauma to qualify for benefits. Last year, the V.A. enacted this reform for veterans with P.T.S.D. related to combat: It lifted the difficult requirements for documenting specifically when and where a P.T.S.D.-linked trauma occurred, bending the benefit of the doubt in the veteran’s favor.

The V.A. could do the same for survivors of sexual trauma, shown in studies to be both grossly underreported and the leading cause of P.T.S.D. among servicewomen. Advocates say a medical professional’s diagnosis and written determination linking P.T.S.D. to sexual trauma, along with a survivor’s testimony, should be enough to meet the requirement. The V.A. could change the rule itself, or be directed to do so by legislation introduced earlier this year in both the House and the Senate.

Women’s advocates have long argued that military sexual trauma is a hidden epidemic. The Pentagon and Veterans Affairs have made promises to address the problem. Both departments acknowledge that they have a long way to go to transform the culture and protect women. Making it easier for those suffering from sexual trauma to receive benefits is one step toward fairness.

A version of this editorial appeared in print on September 12, 2011, on page A26 of the New York edition with the headline: Justice for Women Veterans.

What is going on in Coast Guard's District 1???

2011-08-28T14:00:00.000-04:00

Coast Guard District 1 is failing sexual assault and rape survivors.

From January 1st to July 31st of this year, 217 Active duty Coast Guards members from District 1 received some sort of assistance from the Military Rape Crisis Center as opposed to two from District 17. The range of services provided to these members range from anything from help filing a VA claim for a woman that is leaving the Coast Guard all the way up to a woman receiving alleged death threats.

District 1 is also the only district in the Coast Guard that ever received any complaints from veterans who been sexually assaulted or raped. Members from district 1 continue to abuse survivors of military sexual trauma even after they leave the service. One veteran from Boston was forbidden to enter the base because she reported a rape despite being a 100% disabled veteran that otherwise should given her access to the base. In another incident a Master Chief Petty Officer went on an on-line victim-slandering rant against a rape survivor.

Last year we even found a woman who was Active Duty in the Coast Guard sleeping in the lobby of our office building. She felt unsafe sleeping on base and made her way to Cambridge and slept in our lobby that night. For over 4 months she lived in a domestic violence shelter because the Coast Guard failed to give her accurate and safe housing or BAH for housing off base.

There have been numerous failed attempts to meet with both Shawn Wren, the Coast Guard Sexual Assault Program Manager, and the District One SARC to discuss ways to improve what has now been determined to be a failing Sexual Assault Prevention and Response department. We have met with or spoken to members and Victim Advocates from various districts in the Coast Guard expect for district 1.

We’ll like to know what is going on with District one of the Coast Guard. Why do the majority of the 217 men and women that came forward in just the past 7 months feel that they are being failed by the system that should be protecting them?

Melissa O’Brien
Director of Military Rape Crisis Center-Northeast
melissa@stopmilitaryrape.org

My Duty to Speak

2011-08-27T20:56:00.003-04:00

My Duty to Speak was born out of a writing workshop held at Stop Military Rape in Cambridge, MA according to Panayiota Bertzikis who is both a Coast Guard veteran and the Executive Director of Stop Military Rape.

Read more about the project here. WARNING these are first person accounts and may be potentially triggering.

A survivors reality

2011-08-27T20:42:00.003-04:00

Mary Gallagher writes about her experience with MST in the Air Force with both a female supervisor who was no help and system that made it worse. Originally posted in the Huffington Post.

Rep. Speier delivering 6th speech......

2011-08-27T20:37:00.001-04:00

Rep. Speier Delivers Sixth Speech on Rape and Sexual Assault in the Military

Originally posted on www.stopmilitaryrape.org

Back Again...finally

2011-08-27T20:33:00.002-04:00

Yes this blog has been dormant for far too long. I'm getting ready to start it up again but unfortunately had to disable anonymous comments. I was hoping that this could be a place where we all shared resources but instead some (not all, just some) of the anonymous comments are way off topic and just plain sick. So as my mother used to say "A few have ruined it for everyone".

Call For Submissions

2009-11-11T19:17:00.000-05:00

Call for SUBMISSIONS!

Women’s stories needed! If you would like an opportunity to share your story of military sexual trauma anonymously then please visit www.thenewwarcollection.com and become involved with this project. Your stories are important and will be heard. Please CALL 1-888-547-3531, a toll free number and share your experience with military sexual trauma. Or go to www.thenewwarcollection.com for more information.

Heather Lidberg
B.F.A. New Media (with distinction), University of Lethbridge
M.F.A. Documentary Media, Ryerson University
www.thenewwarcollection.com
www.heatherlidberg.com

Thanks to ALL of our Veterans

2009-11-11T19:09:00.001-05:00

Posted by Melissa Obrien at www.stopmilitaryrape.org

Did you know?

• One in seven servicewomen will experience sexual assault while serving in the military.
• Over 90% of all females that report a sexual assault are discharge from the military. The majority are discharged against their wishes as a result most victims afraid to report the rape and continue working side by side with their perpetrator putting them at risk for repeat attacks.
• 80 percent of rapes are never reported - making it the most under-documented crime in the military.
•Reports of false rape allegations are less than .05%. Since fiscal year 2000 there was no reported cases of false allegations.
• 181 out of 2,212 reports of military sexual assaults, or 8 percent, were referred to court martial. By comparison 40 percent of those arrested in the civilian world on such charges are prosecuted.
• According to the Department of Defense's own statistics 74-85% of soldiers convicted of rape or sexual assault leave the military with honorable discharges (meaning the rape conviction does not appear on their record!)
•A woman who signs up to protect her country is more likely to be raped by a fellow soldier than killed by enemy fire"- Rep. Jane Harman (D-CA)
•A 2007 study has shown that 23 percent of Coast Guard cadets said they would not report other cadets who commit sexual assault, while 65 percent say they would allow personal loyalty to impact their decision to report sexual assault.

“While on duty I wore the uniform of the United States Army risking my life for my country and my fellow soldiers. Off duty I was carrying my weapon to protect myself from the same men that I was willing to take a bullet for. While serving in Iraq I was raped three times by my NCO. It makes you wonder who the enemy really is.”
–SPC. Ashley D. Age 21 US Army

On this Veterans’ Day do not forget the many veterans that have suffered in silence and alone. Sometimes the biggest battles are with those with whom you will risk all that you have to protect.

What can you do to help?

If you have 10 minutes: Veterans that experienced a sexual assault in the military should be respected and honored for their bravery and military service. Offer your thanks to a veteran.
If you have 30 minute: Write to your representative demanding better protection for our servicemen and women from experiencing sexual violence.
If you have one hour: Sit down and talk with a survivor of military rape. Hear the stories from those who are often silenced yet served our country in bravery and pride.
If you have a day: Volunteer with the Military Rape Crisis Center or other veteran organizations to help survivors of military rape.

Visit www.stopmilitaryrape.org for more information and other ways that you can help

Thank you and Happy Veterans' Day!

Operation "In Their Boots"

2009-11-09T11:33:00.001-05:00

Operation In Their Boots Launch

"It's official!!! The launch of Operation In Their Boots is here!! Vets and Service members, tell us your story through a documentary film, we'll give you a stipend and cover the production cost.

To apply, go to www.intheirboots.com

SHINSEKI UNVEILS PLAN TO END HOMELESS VET CRISIS -- "President Obama and I are personally committed to ending homelessness among Veterans within the next five years." - VA Watchdog dot Org - 11-04-2009

2009-11-09T11:31:00.000-05:00

SHINSEKI UNVEILS PLAN TO END HOMELESS VET CRISIS -- "President Obama and I are personally committed to ending homelessness among Veterans within the next five years." - VA Watchdog dot Org - 11-04-2009

IAVA on Women

2009-11-09T11:16:00.001-05:00

Newest Report on Women's Unique and Urgent Service and Homecoming Challenges

NEW YORK - Today, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA), the nation's first and largest non-partisan, nonprofit organization representing veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, released its new issue report, "Women Warriors: Supporting She 'Who Has Borne the Battle,'" on the unique service and homecoming challenges facing female troops and veterans. The report is the cornerstone of IAVA's first annual "Week of the Women Warriors," a multi-faceted effort to honor the courage and sacrifice of female servicemembers.

"Women make up 11% of the force in Iraq and Afghanistan. Yet, their challenges have largely been overlooked and underreported. IAVA's new report pulls together the most up to date information on a broad range of issues confronting female servicemembers and veterans," said IAVA Executive Director Paul Rieckhoff. "Countless women have served bravely and honorably for their country. It's time for the Department of Defense, the VA, lawmakers and the public to take bold action on behalf of these women warriors and give them the support they have earned."

IAVA's newly released report explores a wide range of issues, including:

* Sexual Assault, Harassment and Military Sexual Trauma (MST): Women in the military have been coping with significant and underreported sexual assault and harassment for decades. The report examines the statistics behind this prevalent issue, the measures that are currently in place and steps that must be taken to aggressively address this systematic problem.

* Higher Divorce Rates for Female Servicemembers: Marriages of female troops are failing at almost three times the rate of male servicemembers. The report examines the data behind this troubling trend.

* Barriers to VA Health Care: In recent years the VA has been challenged to care for female veterans, who now make up 12% of all Iraq and Afghanistan veterans seeking VA health care. The report examines the fragmentation of women's VA services, privacy and safety concerns and problems communicating eligibility and benefits to female veterans.

* Homelessness among Female Veterans: Of homeless Iraq and Afghanistan veterans, almost 10% are women, and many of them have families. The report examines this growing trend and the urgent economic challenges facing female veterans.

Week of the Women Warriors: During this week, IAVA.org will feature a new Women Warriors Center. Anchored by the new report, the Women Warriors Center will highlight ways veterans and civilians can get involved with supporting female veterans. Visitors will be able to read the report, learn about the history of women in the military, sign on to IAVA's letter introducing the report to Congress and participate in an aggregation of associated Twitter activity. Female veterans are encouraged to join Community of Veterans (COV), an online social network exclusively for veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. This is the first of what will be an annual week to honor and advocate for female troops and veterans.

The full report can be found here.

Today at 11:00AM E.S.T., IAVA will host a press conference call to discuss the full 2009 "Women Warriors" Issue Report. The call will include Paul Rieckhoff, Executive Director of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of American (IAVA), Erin Mulhall, IAVA Deputy Policy Director for Research and author of the report, and Cara Hammer, IAVA Veteran Support Associate and Iraq veteran.

CALL-IN INFORMATION:
Call-in number: 1-800-369-3164
Participant passcode: IAVA2009 (4282-2009)

To arrange an interview with IAVA Executive Director Paul Rieckhoff or a female member veteran, contact Chrissy Stevens, 212-982-9699, chrissy@iava.org.

Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (www.IAVA.org) is the country's first and largest nonprofit, nonpartisan organization for veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and has more than 150,000 veteran members and civilian supporters nationwide. Its mission is to improve the lives of this country's newest generation of veterans and their families.

Failing Our Women Warriors

2009-07-17T12:52:00.001-04:00

Find a summary of the GAO report Paul is referring to here

GAO: VA Failing to Serve Our Women Warriors
Posted by Paul Rieckhoff on July 17

If you blinked, you could’ve missed it. With the media’s obsession over Michael Jackson’s death and Sotomayor’s confirmation hearings plastered across cable news shows, an important story might have skipped your radar.

If you blinked, you could’ve missed it. With the media’s obsession over Michael Jackson’s death and Sotomayor’s confirmation hearings plastered across cable news shows, an important story might have skipped your radar.

This week, the Government Accountability Office (GAO), the investigative arm of Congress, released a stunning new report detailing significant barriers that many female veterans face in accessing healthcare at the Department of Veterans Affairs. Not just for policy wonks, this report should be required reading for every American. Some of the critical findings include:

* Privacy standards for women veterans at VA facilities aren’t being met. The GAO found women’s exam room tables that faced doors instead of walls, and instances where women patients had to walk through waiting rooms to use the restrooms, as opposed to next to the exam room as required by VA policy. Some hospitals under review also did not guarantee access to private and secure bathing areas or visual and auditory privacy at check-in.
* Comprehensive primary care is not available for women veterans at all hospitals and clinics. Despite its commitment 8 months ago, the VA has still not establish a deadline for facilities to meet its requirement of complete primary care and basic gender-specific services available to all women veterans by one provider at one site. Some VA officials were even unclear on the steps needed to implement this new plan. The availability of services for women veterans continues to vary by hospital and clinic.
* The VA still has shortages of qualified women’s health and mental health care providers. The VA’s ability to provide consistent and timely care to female vets is also being compromised by difficulties hiring providers that specialize in women’s health and mental health. For the female veterans coming home from war everyday and those suffering from mental health injuries or who have experienced Military Sexual Trauma, these shortages could not come at a worse time.

But the GAO isn’t the only one voicing concern. We recently asked female vets to share their experiences at the VA. And their responses were alarming:

“I tried several times to use the mental health services. I was told that women don't go to combat so we shouldn't need counseling.”—Female Iraq and Afghanistan Veteran

“The VA hospitals are used to dealing with male Vietnam, Korea and WWII vets -- the quality of care for a female at a VA hospital is very low.”—Female Iraq Veteran

“The [local] VA is supposed to have 4 women’s doctors, but there is only 1 full-time doc and 1 semi-retired (her knowledge is outdated and she’s made serious mistakes on basic women’s health problems that were already in my military medical record). With all the women veterans, this is ridiculous…Also I get annoyed because everyone calls you “Mr.” until they realize you’re female, they assume all vets are guys.”—Female Iraq Veteran

This is absolutely unacceptable. The VA must ensure that women veterans receive the care they deserve. With more women serving in combat than ever before, action should have happened yesterday.

Thankfully, some advocates in Congress aren’t waiting. A bipartisan group of lawmakers lead by Senator Patty Murray and Congresswoman Stephanie Herseth Sandlin are championing legislation to improve VA services for women veterans. “The Women Veterans Healthcare Improvement Act” (S.597/H.R.1211) would help assess, expand, and improve VA care for women veterans, especially those who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan. With the female veteran population growing daily, it will also equip the VA with the tools necessary to plan long-term for this historic growth. And it’s just steps away from the President’s signature.

Like their male peers, women veterans have shown incredible dedication and courage in defending their country. It’s about time they get the same recognition and support.

P.S. Next month, IAVA is releasing a groundbreaking Issue Report on women in the military, based on extensive research and the experiences of female IAVA Member Veterans. Want to be the first to hear about it? Sign up for mobile updates by texting REPORT to 69866. We’ll send you a text message as soon as the report launches, so you can be among the first to read it.

Paul Rieckhoff is the Founder and Executive Director of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA), and the author of Chasing Ghosts.

"The Other PTSD"

2009-06-26T22:54:00.000-04:00

H.R. 840 Military Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Response Act

2009-06-26T13:19:00.004-04:00

The Military Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Response Act has been reintroduced into Congress. It currently has 50 sponsors and needs somewhere around 90 to get a committee hearing. Please get in touch with your congress person and urge them to support this bill.

If you go to the NOW (National Organization of Women) website there is a link to compose a message directly to your representatives (and to the president). Please makes sure that you put H.R. 840 in the subject line.

Links

2009-06-23T12:29:00.004-04:00

One of the ways that I hope to help all veterans is by listing various services that are available for any issue that may be affecting them. To the right you can see the long list that I have compiled. If become aware of anything that is missing please feel free to email me or post it in the comments section. I try to add things as they come to my attention.

Thanks.

Some Statistics

2009-06-22T22:23:00.003-04:00

* One in three women in the military will be sexual assaulted.

* Up to 66% will be sexually harassed.

* 25% of all the homeless population are military veterans.

* From that 25%, over 70% are said to be suffering from Military Sexual Trauma.

* At year-end 1997, sex offenders accounted for 1 in 3 prisoners held in military
correctional facilities.

* The DOD/Tricare currently does not pay for a rape kit. The cost to collect
evidence from a sexual assault is often payed for by the survivor.

* 181 out of 2,212 reports of military sexual assaults, or 8 percent referred to
courts martial. By comparison 40 percent of those arrested in the civilian world
on such charges are prosecuted.

* According to the Department of Defense's own statistics 74-85% of soldiers
convicted of rape or sexual assault leave the military with honorable discharges
(meaning the rape conviction does not appear on their record!)

* A woman who signs up to protect her country is
more likely to be raped by a fellow soldier than killed by enemy fire"- Rep. Jane Harman (D-CA)

* Over 90% of all females that report a sexual assault is discharged from the
military before her contract ends. From the 90%, around 85% are discharged
against their wishes. Almost all of the 85% lose their careers based on a
misdiagnoses that makes one ineligible for military service. The most common
misdiagnoses are: adjustment disorder, personality disorder and pre-service
existing PTSD or other disorder.

* A 2007 study has shown that 23 percent of Coast Guard cadets said they would
not report other cadets who commit sexual assault, while 65 percent say they
would allow personal loyalty to impact their decision to report sexual assault.

All statistics are taken from DOD/DHS websites/reports, the Department of Veterans Affairs, www.militarysexualtrauma.com, National Collation of Homeless Vets, our own research team and from the following news articles:

http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/story?id=5760295&page=1

http://www.alternet.org/waroniraq/98061?comments=view&cID=1003738&pID=1003697#c1003738

http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/07/31/military.sexabuse/index.html?eref=rss_topstories

http://www.readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=26502

http://www.inthesetimes.com/article/3848/

Definition

2009-06-21T11:06:00.002-04:00

What is military sexual trauma?

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) defines military sexual trauma (MST) as sexual harassment that is threatening or physical assault of a sexual nature. These traumas occur when a person is in the military. The location, the genders of the people involved, and their relationship do not matter.

Sexual harassment may include:

* A put-down of your gender.
* Flirting when you've made clear it's not welcome.
* Sexual comments or gestures about your body or lifestyle.
* Pressure for sexual favors.

Sexual assault can be any sort of activity that you don't want. It doesn't have to be physical. Sexual threats or bullying are sexual assault. Rape is not the only type of sexual assault. Sexual assault is any unwanted sexual act, including touching or grabbing.

People who have been sexually assaulted often feel that no one can help, that they have no power, and that it may happen again. People may tell you or indicate that it was your fault or that you just need to get over it. Your military experience may make these feelings more intense. This is because the person responsible or his or her colleagues:

* May work with and live close to you.
* May have some control over your needs, such as medical care.
* May have some control over your promotions and career.

The bonding within your unit can make it hard to report your assault. You may feel torn between loyalty to your unit and to yourself, and you may feel you need to keep quiet for the good of the group. You may feel forced to choose between your military career and continued contact with the person who assaulted you.

When does MST occur and to whom does it happen?

MST can happen during war, peace, or training. It can be man-to-woman, woman-to-man, woman-to-woman, or man-to-man.

* Among veterans using VA health care, about:
o 23 out of 100 women (23%) reported sexual assault when in the military.2
o 55 out of 100 women (55%) and 38 out of 100 men (38%) have experienced
sexual harassment when in the military.2, 3

What happens?

There is no set reaction to MST. You may feel fear, shame, anger, embarrassment, or guilt. You may have a response right away, or it may be delayed for months or years. You may feel sad or scared months or years after the assault.

After MST you may:

* Avoid places or things that remind you of what happened.
* Avoid your friends, family, and other people.
* Have trouble sleeping or have nightmares.
* Feel numb or feel nothing at all.
* Have relationship problems.
* Think about death or killing yourself.

Some people try to deal with their feelings by pulling away from other people, working all the time, or using drugs or alcohol. They may feel depressed or have panic attacks.

**Thank you to www.stopmilitaryrape.org for allowing me to use this information**

Purpose

2009-06-21T09:25:00.000-04:00

Hi Everyone

I am a graduate student at the Simmons School of Social Work in Boston, MA. When I am done with my MSW I plan to go to work within the VA/military system somewhere working with women who have been the victims of Military Sexual Trauma (MST). I have created this blog to be kind of clearinghouse for information of all kinds. Here you'll fine (hopefully) the latest statistics, any legislation that is currently working it's way through the system, organizations that offer help, treatment updates, help for families and anything else that I think is relevant to this subject.

If at any time you come across information that you think I might be interested in please feel free to send it to Abstractjenn@gmail.com. I will only post info here from other blogs with permission - so if you send me something please make sure that I you include where you got it so I can get the correct releases.

Thank you!