Posted on Mar 25, 2018
SPC Orderly Room Clerk
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It’s becoming more of a challenge for both genders to learn to work together as professionals in a setting originally created to make professional soldiers and future leaders of the Army. We are taught instead to be afraid to work together. What do you think of this ever growing problem within the training environment? (AIT).
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SGT Joseph Gunderson
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I think that it has become increasingly difficult for male soldiers to work around females. When a female has the power to destroy a male soldier's career just by making accusations it makes it very difficult to work around them. I think that there needs to be a revamping of the SHARP process to ensure that men are safeguarded as well. In addition, I think that we are getting away from equality. Women seem to be given all of the benefits without all of the work; with the opening of combat MOS's, should women not be held to the exact same physical standards as their male counterparts? If we want to get away from gender as an issue, I think that there need to be completely neutral policies.
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SFC Intelligence Analyst
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In reception there is the OPAT - that's supposed to be gender neutral and goes along with the ASVAB in choosing a job. If they don't score a certain score on the OPAT that qualifies them for combat MOSs they can't do those jobs. I haven't heard of any females who reclassed over to infantry yet. How do you know those units aren't holding them to the same standards? I heard about battalions in my last brigade that would have people doing remedial PT if they didn't score a 270. Also they're allegedly getting closer to a gender neutral PT test - the ACRT I believe.

What do you mean men are safeguarded as well in reporting a sexual assault or sexual harassment? Women are not the only victims of SH or SA. Men are reporting these things too. So are you saying instead the alleged perpetrator needs protections? It's not just men being accused of these things. That is something that needs to be pushed in SHARP training is that men can be and are victims of SH and SA. Anyone can make a false accusation (which those are very rare) - female OR male.
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SGT Joseph Gunderson
SGT Joseph Gunderson
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SFC (Join to see) - There have been females that have become infantry already and there are still different PT standards for females and males; that is not a gender-neutral standard. As far as safeguards for men, like I stated, careers are destroyed just because a female says that something occurred and many times nothing has happened. That is not right. False accusations are not rare, sorry, they are quite common. I have personally watched as my soldiers suffered because some female stated that someone looked at the incorrectly or they possibly overheard something inappropriate. This is moronic.
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SFC Intelligence Analyst
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6 y
I know there are females that are infantry - I said I hadn't heard of any that reclassed. I didn't say that they hadn't I just heard about females coming in as infantry. I suppose those two officers who went to Ranger reclassed.

So what you saw represents the entire military? It can go both ways and does. I have had, as a SARC, males report SH and SA. I have had males who requested to be moved because of being sexually harassed or assaulted. So yes males can and do report these things. It is NOT a gender specific issue.

Also they tell us over and over in classes that you should watch what you say because if someone else walks by and it offends them they can report it. Even if it wasn't directed at them.

False accusations ARE rare "sorry." They are not quite common. Proven false reports - rare. I don't know where you get your information from but I've been involved in SHARP for quite a while. I have done my own research into the issue of sexual assault and sexual harassment.

Army wide there is no gender neutral standard. But units can hold someone to a higher standard - it does happen quite frequently.

The cases of your soldiers - how involved were you in the investigative process of those reports against them? Probably not too indepth.
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SGT Joseph Gunderson
SGT Joseph Gunderson
6 y
1. Offense is stupid; no one should be punished because your feelings were hurt in passing.
2. Without gender neutral standards and policy females will always have an upperhand.
3. I was the superior of the soldiers and thus was not involved in the direct investigation. That was handled by sharp and ig
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SGT Russell Wickham
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For me, it wasn't just a training problem. The drama between male and female soldiers generated an environment that led to a lot of hostility. I tried to be part of the solution, but there were a lot of mixed signals all down the line, and it's going to take time to retrain a culture. You have the chance to be part of the solution as well. Keep it professional, and expect to be treated as such. Don't tolerate unprofessional behavior, learn how to report when you have to, and the army as a whole can be improved.
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SGM Bill Frazer
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We are damn new to the gender training- it takes time to get the ball rolling. Once all has been proven and the nay-sayers quietened about all women getting pregnant, things will work out.
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SPC Orderly Room Clerk
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There will always be men or women doing things that they shouldn’t is the thing. But it gets complicated when you cannot even sit down in a defac and you get corrected for just talking and sitting with a battle of a different gender.
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