Not Changing: An Active Duty MST Survivor blogs about SHARP
In the wake of repeated sexual assault crises, the military earlier this year revamped its Sexual Harassment/ Assault Response and Prevention program, or SHARP. An active duty military sexual assault survivor writes a personal account after attending a mandatory SHARP briefing at her unit. She blogs at Screwednomore, where she anonymously comments on military sexual trauma.
Here are her thoughts on SHARP and the attitude in her unit towards sexual assault prevention and prosecution in the military:
June 26, 2013
So today was one of those days. Due to a series of recent events that led to the more widespread knowledge of the epidemic plaguing the military today, we had that mandatory SHARP brief this morning. Though we just had one prior to the Memorial Day weekend, the Department of the Army mandated that we be retrained. This training was in smaller groups than the usual company sized training sessions. This past week, we each had a day that we received this training. Today was my Platoon’s day.
Let me start by describing my company. It consists of Officers, Senior Enlisted, and a Platoon with a handful of Lower Enlisted Soldiers that are being medically separated. Most of these are IET Soldiers, with maybe two exceptions. Granted, there are not quite 10. The training today consisted of those who couldn’t make their scheduled day and the Soldiers being separated. Besides myself, at least one of the other females is being separated for PTSD from being raped. Also in attendance were those various staff positions, S1, S2 and so forth. Needless to say, with about five to seven IET Soldiers who were already being separated the audience was primarily NCOs/Officers.
The intention was good. They were smaller in size in order to facilitate a discussion. The purpose was to really understand and not get lost in the typical “Death by Powerpoint”. The result: Fail. Utter fail.
It started out OK, however soon, it turned to “we have to do this training because there have been high visibility personnel,who were recently allegedly involved in sexual assaults.” Nevermind the 26,000 soldiers who reported in a FY2012 Pentagon survey that they were raped or a victim of other sexual crimes. (And by the way, 90% don’t report the crime out of fear and of those who do report 60% state they were retaliated against both administratively or professionally). The company XO (executive officer) who was leading the training asked questions, like if we think the new restrictions on IET Soldiers would help. I think they’re stupid, seeing as though they do assault each other, they are typically the victims. They have no power. Another instance of “punish” the potential victim to prevent sexual assault. However, most of the leaders thought it was a great idea. (I’m fine with drinking restrictions, but no passes is a little severe). Some of them are here for classes that are 64 weeks long. Even on class break they are not allowed to discover this beautiful area and have to be back in the barracks at 9PM. I know many a teenager that had a later curfew, if one at all. However, right now they are on lockdown. They also require a “battle-buddy” everywhere they go. I think this is smart, even if a tad inconvenient. However, in basic and AIT, that is the norm. Even when I went to WLC (Warrior Leader Course) it was required. We have still seen instructors behave inappropriately to trainees even with these systems in place. These soldiers are sitting ducks. (I kept my mouth shut on this topic.)
He then proceeded to ask who, if anyone, had seen the documentary “The Invisible War.” Two or three soldiers raised their hands. Shame on me, I didn’t raise my hand though I did see it, and might I add, it changed my life. It made me realize that although I was in a very odd, nonsensical situation, I was not alone. I was in good strong company. If they had even worse things happen to them and are standing tall, I could too. So inspirational.
He mentioned that it was an independent documentary. He also mentioned that by the end of the fiscal year it would be mandatory viewing for all of us. He also was kind enough to tell us to take it with a “grain of salt” as it was only one side of the story.
Nope, don’t go back and reread that. You read it right.
This is when I decided to participate in the discussion. I brought up the fact that we get the Army’s side of the story several times a year. We are always sitting through the PowerPoint presentations that tell us what to look for, what to do if something happens, how to report it. The Army has been preaching zero tolerance for quite some time, though I know more people that got away with it than were actually prosecuted. Even though there were those who were given very light punishments, I’ve never known anyone to get jail time in my whole 9.5 years in the Army.
I also mentioned that the documentary shows what, in my view, happens quite often. I didn’t mention the fact that I was there because like those in the documentary, I also was a victim to terrible chains of command. He had also mentioned that the documentary was created so that Soldiers would not trust their chains of command and that it was undermining the military’s efforts. Efforts of what? I wonder. Perhaps sweeping it under the rug?
Too bad I didn’t get a chance to mention the documentary “Justice Denied.” I so can’t wait to see it and hope it becomes mandatory viewing as well. Even I didn’t realize how bad the problem is among males.
So those are the basic highlights. He gave a few scenarios and asked what we would do and the answers were pretty good (though one was honest enough to say that she would not intervene off post, as fraternization rules are very strict here).
My takeaway, eventually, was we will have to see the film. He managed to plant a little poisonous seed in the minds of these leaders. In the back of their mind, they will think not to take it too seriously, though hopefully my suggestion to take it seriously will also be there. He told them that these stories are extreme and do not happen often.
I wonder if he realized that he may have had people sitting in on his brief that went through that same type of situation, or if he did if he would have done or said anything differently. That is not the point, though, as I felt he was very unprofessional or just showing his ignorance. Is he ignorant? Perhaps. Perhaps so are the people he was instructing. This is why we are not getting anywhere.
The way he trashed the film and then diminished my comments. Eventually he told me “it is what it is” before reiterating to everyone else to take it “with a grain of salt”.
Though he was just a Lt, he gave his spiel five days in a row to various groups of senior leaders. So now there are an additional couple hundred that have that little seed in the back of their head that gives them yet another reason to insist that it is not happening in their units. Instead of opening their eyes, they now have permission to dismiss it as the blinders have been placed over their eyes.
I still wonder if all of these commanders are saying that it doesn’t happen in their units, where is it happening? Is it an alternate universe whose numbers got switched with ours? It’s almost humorous that 26,000 cases according to DoD, yet they never occurred under anyone’s command. It looks like it has already been taken with a grain of salt. Hopefully, that salt grain will somehow make it to their eyes, where they will take notice.
It’s kind of hard to take the long hard look when someone is giving in to the side that doesn’t want to, by saying that it is not really an issue.
These are your future leaders. If you feel even a fraction as strongly by this bad example, please share. This needs to change.
IET- Initial Entry Training
NCO- Non Commissioned Officers
AIT- Advanced Individual Training
