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I asked a former female Marine if she had experienced an overwhelming amount of sexual harassment/assault while she served in the Corps. To my extreme surprise this was her response (paraphrased of course):
No. No, not at all. One time I was in the barracks and a guy in my unit snuck into my room and tried forcing himself on me. I started screaming and within a few seconds this whole crowd of Marines came barging into my room and carried him off. They’re my brothers, why would they let anyone hurt me?
Now THAT is honor and loyalty.
This brought tears to my eyes for two reasons.
Reason One: I was so overwhelmed and happy these Marines heard a fellow Marine in trouble and they came running to her rescue. There was no hesitation, no passive intervention and no second thoughts. That's just mind-blowing to me.
Reason Two: My mind was blown because very rarely has a male Soldier stood up for me like that. Matter of fact, I rarely hear any male Soldiers stand up for women like that.
I was raised where men watch their mouths around women, men hold open doors for ladies, and men take out the trash while women wash the dishes. I understand and learn more every day how the military is far from being the Southern paradise where knights in shining armor rescue damsels in distress. I also understand some women don’t like being treated that way. Roger, tracking.
Maybe those Marines who busted in her room didn’t care that she was a woman, they just heard one of their fellow Marines in trouble. Regardless of why, their actions and her response portrayed a very different world from what I know in the Army and that saddens me.
Is it sexist for me to expect male Soldiers to stand up for female Soldiers? Maybe so.
Is it too much to ask for Soldiers to stand up for Soldiers, regardless of gender? I don't think so.
No. No, not at all. One time I was in the barracks and a guy in my unit snuck into my room and tried forcing himself on me. I started screaming and within a few seconds this whole crowd of Marines came barging into my room and carried him off. They’re my brothers, why would they let anyone hurt me?
Now THAT is honor and loyalty.
This brought tears to my eyes for two reasons.
Reason One: I was so overwhelmed and happy these Marines heard a fellow Marine in trouble and they came running to her rescue. There was no hesitation, no passive intervention and no second thoughts. That's just mind-blowing to me.
Reason Two: My mind was blown because very rarely has a male Soldier stood up for me like that. Matter of fact, I rarely hear any male Soldiers stand up for women like that.
I was raised where men watch their mouths around women, men hold open doors for ladies, and men take out the trash while women wash the dishes. I understand and learn more every day how the military is far from being the Southern paradise where knights in shining armor rescue damsels in distress. I also understand some women don’t like being treated that way. Roger, tracking.
Maybe those Marines who busted in her room didn’t care that she was a woman, they just heard one of their fellow Marines in trouble. Regardless of why, their actions and her response portrayed a very different world from what I know in the Army and that saddens me.
Is it sexist for me to expect male Soldiers to stand up for female Soldiers? Maybe so.
Is it too much to ask for Soldiers to stand up for Soldiers, regardless of gender? I don't think so.
Sexual Harassment
Sexual Assault
Gender
Women in the Military
Command Post
Posted 10 y ago
Responses: 197
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SSG Keven Lahde
SGT Rick Nyberg I totally agree with you. If we so called don't look out for each other, then I have wasted 18+ years of my life for nothing.
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SSG V. Michelle Woods
SGT Rick Nyberg this is just a glimpse of the reality I speak of. It is true. It is happening. We are trying to fix it and that's the best we can do.
http://mydutytospeak.com
http://mydutytospeak.com
You are about to read true first person testimonies of sex abuse in the United States military. A lot of the survivors do go into details about their sexual assault, rape and the military response to the rape. Reading these testimonies could potentially be triggering to survivors of Military Sexual Trauma or rape. Please take that into account before continue reading.
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SSG (Join to see)
SSG Mikus, we can start by instilling the honor into our soldiers. Stop calling them a pay grade. I am not an e6. I am a SSG in the united States Army, I am a leader of soldiers. In the Marines we considered ourselves a warrior culture. Use that same mentality in the Army and my soldiers have responded very positively. That's where start I believe in the Army. Agree? Or no?
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SSG (Join to see)
Couldn't agree more. The big difference is the size of the forces. The Army is vastly larger than the Marines so more incidents get reported. But like I said, the cultures are way different as well. And I am speaking from experience. I think it starts in basic and boot camp. Both are fighting forces and that culture needs to be instilled Early on in ones career.
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It's powerful hearing about that Marine's experience. I get where you're coming from; it's not about expecting special treatment but about solidarity. I've seen similar camaraderie in other units too. Gender shouldn't matter when it comes to having each other's backs. It's about respect and support, plain and simple.
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Wait I know Male Soldiers who stood up for and defended Female Soldiers, who stood against there command over it, so it's not to much ask and I really think it's not to much to expect
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It’s not too much. I’m happy things have changed for better. I remember when I was just slightly outside the base when my husband at the time was slamming me on the ground. There were a few marines that looked but continued to drive by. Thank you Jesus for the brave hearts of the marines that saved the WM.
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Let me start by saying I have been out of the service for a long time. I served from 1980 to 1996 and I must confess that I am shocked at the change I see through the threads on these pages.
When I joined, the guys I served with would have done exactly what those marines did. I know because when I went to basic training at Fort Jackson, our company was mixed (two male platoons and two female platoons).
One of the guys from our platoon was caught by his squad mates peeking into the girls' showers. He stopped peeking when his eyes swelled shut. 'Nuff said.
When I joined, the guys I served with would have done exactly what those marines did. I know because when I went to basic training at Fort Jackson, our company was mixed (two male platoons and two female platoons).
One of the guys from our platoon was caught by his squad mates peeking into the girls' showers. He stopped peeking when his eyes swelled shut. 'Nuff said.
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Woman have every right to serve there country just like we do that dosent make them any less compared to us .
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There can be good excuses for murder, theft and blackmail in my experience, but rape there is never am excuse great enough to justify it. Rape is just wrong. In the military it happens way to often it should not happen at all. We as in the enlisted and especially junior enlisted need to do a better job policing ourselves and holding our shipmates it battlebuddies accountable and prevent incidents like this because regardless of gender we need to look after our brothers and sisters because out beyond the wire that's all we got. It didn't matter about liking the person or not because we will all be reliant on one another to get certain tasks done. There is first and foremost rape is just wrong and we need to prevent wrongs not make more and every service member individually need to hold themselves to standard of excellence we expect from others.
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Sexual harassment is not tolerated in the Military period, no matter the branch of service! With that said, Army personnel have stopped forceful attacks on women and have reported as witnesses for maligned women in the past. Many convictions have been made with male testimony for the female victims.
Has there been bad press about sexual harassment, of course. However, you have to judge each case on its own merits. Men and women are human, they make mistakes and they sometimes lie, fabricate, or distort a story for their own personnel gain. It is sometimes very hard to discern the truth and it makes this investigatory process very grim.
All branches of the service attempt to protect their women and men from sexual battery. Unfortunately, there are times when the environment or the circumstances rear their ugly head. It is then that it must be decapitated and justice be done with all respect to the victim or victims.
Duty, Honor, Country are not just words to our military members, they are a creed that instills integrity in each of us and helps us to be better members of the Department of Defense. We are all military personnel and there should be no qualifier added such as male, female, black, white.
Has there been bad press about sexual harassment, of course. However, you have to judge each case on its own merits. Men and women are human, they make mistakes and they sometimes lie, fabricate, or distort a story for their own personnel gain. It is sometimes very hard to discern the truth and it makes this investigatory process very grim.
All branches of the service attempt to protect their women and men from sexual battery. Unfortunately, there are times when the environment or the circumstances rear their ugly head. It is then that it must be decapitated and justice be done with all respect to the victim or victims.
Duty, Honor, Country are not just words to our military members, they are a creed that instills integrity in each of us and helps us to be better members of the Department of Defense. We are all military personnel and there should be no qualifier added such as male, female, black, white.
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Cpl Sharon Robino-West
Russell Strand speaks at Army War College
Army War College students, staff, Family members and the Carlisle community heard presentations from retired Army Criminal Investigation Command special agen...
MST happens to men in the military too. Again, we need to stop focusing on blaming the victims and start focusing on outing the perpetrators. And there are many. They not only groom their victims to the point where they strike when a victim is vulnerable, they also groom their superiors and those around them. That is why we see so many "good soldier" defense stories where a perp (a service member of questionable conduct, in this case), gets away with committing the crime and blaming the victim.
Many in the military may be saying "zero tolerance!" Some may even be fortunate to be in a unit where there really IS zero tolerance. Most are not. We still have a long way to go. Ask a victim who has lost their career after reporting, only to see a superior walk away with a hand slap, blaming the victim in the end. See Russell Strand's youtube training at the Army War College https://youtu.be/PlO9yWPfRpc Russell is a veteran who now works with the FBI to fight these crimes. More people need to hear what he has to say. Semper Fi to my Marine brothers and sisters out there. Contact me if you want more facts on this issue.
Many in the military may be saying "zero tolerance!" Some may even be fortunate to be in a unit where there really IS zero tolerance. Most are not. We still have a long way to go. Ask a victim who has lost their career after reporting, only to see a superior walk away with a hand slap, blaming the victim in the end. See Russell Strand's youtube training at the Army War College https://youtu.be/PlO9yWPfRpc Russell is a veteran who now works with the FBI to fight these crimes. More people need to hear what he has to say. Semper Fi to my Marine brothers and sisters out there. Contact me if you want more facts on this issue.
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LTC John Wilson
Sharon,
I thought I articulate that we should do more for the victims of Sexual harassment and prosecute more of the perpetrators. If it didn't come through as I thought, I am reiterating it here. thanks for your comment.
I thought I articulate that we should do more for the victims of Sexual harassment and prosecute more of the perpetrators. If it didn't come through as I thought, I am reiterating it here. thanks for your comment.
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In the US Marines, we are all brothers and sisters forever. Any time, any place, against anybody, We will always have each others backs. Why? Because that's what family does.
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