FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Brian Purchia, brian@protectourdefenders.com
**Update: US Air Force Veteran Jessica Hinves will be joining Protect Our Defenders for tomorrow’s Lackland event. Jessica was featured in the film, The Invisible War. Her assailant was awarded the ‘Airman of the Year.” http://entertainment.time.com/
And US Air Force Veteran Jennifer Norris will be joining us as well. Jennifer was profiled by NBC Nightly News about the Lackland scandal: http://video.msnbc.msn.com/
***Advisory***
TAILHOOK WHISTLEBLOWER, MILITARY SEXUAL ASSAULT SURVIVORS TO DELIVER PETITIONS TO CONGRESS DEMANDING LACKLAND HEARING AND INVESTIGATION AHEAD OF CLOSED-DOOR BRIEFING
Protect Our Defenders and military sexual assault survivors travel to our nation’s capital, tell Chairman of House Armed Services Committee, Rep. Buck McKeon closed-door Lackland briefing not acceptable, demand open investigation and legislation to fix broken system
Washington DC – On Thursday, Protect Our Defenders will hold an event in our nation’s capital ahead of the closed-door congressional hearing on the widening criminal scandal at Lackland Air Force Base with Tailhook whistleblower, Paula Coughlin-Puopolo and military sexual assault survivors Brian Lewis and former sailor Jenny McClendon. The veterans will then deliver the petitions signed by more than 10,000 Americans to the Chairman of House Armed Services Committee, Rep. Buck McKeon (R-Los Angeles County) demanding a hearing and investigation on the widening sexual abuse scandal at Lackland.
Last month, Paula started an online petition on Causes.com and Protect Our Defenders demanding Rep. McKeon open a congressional hearing about Lackland. At least 38 female trainees at the Air Force’s sole recruiting center in San Antonio, Texas say they were raped or sexually assaulted by their instructors. The officer who would be the Air Force’s new Chief of Staff, Gen. Mark Welsh III recently told Congress, “what we have been doing is not working” to address the epidemic of sexual assault in the military. But, Rep. McKeon has yet to call for a hearing and investigation about the criminal scandal at Lackland. Instead, Rep. McKeon is holding a closed-door briefing with the Air Force Secretary on Thursday.
Seventy-eight members of Congress have also called on Rep. Buck McKeon to open a Lackland hearing. Last year, there were an estimated 19,000 military rapes and sexual assaults, but only 3,200 victims reported the attacks and out of those only 191 cases resulted in court martial conviction. The Department of Veteran Affairs estimates that there are now over a half a million veterans that have experienced military sexual
WHO:
Paula Coughlin-Puopolo, Tailhook Whistleblower, former Naval Aviator & Protect Our Defenders’ Advocacy Board Member
Jessica Hinves, US Air Force Military Sexual Assault Survivor
Jennifer Norris, US Air Force Military Sexual Assault Survivor
Brian Lewis, Military Sexual Assault Survivor & Protect Our Defenders’ Advocacy Board Member
Prof. Jenny McClendon, Military Sexual Assault Survivor & Protect Our Defenders’ Advocacy Board Member
Brian Purchia, Protect Our Defenders’ Communications Director
*Survivors and Protect Our Defenders President, Nancy Parrish are available for interviews before the event
WHEN:
11 AM ET, Thursday, Aug. 2, 2012
*Following the event survivors will deliver Lackland petitions to Rep. Buck McKeon’s (R-Los Angeles County) office
WHERE:
2456 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, D.C. 20515
*Please RSVP to brian@protrectourdefenders.com
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Paula Coughlin-Puopolo’s petition demanding Congress investigates the Lackland sexual assault scandal can be viewed here:
http://www.causes.com/causes/787301-protect-our-defendersfoundation/actions/1665842
http://action.protectourdefenders.com/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=8040
Watch Professor Jenny McClendon’s Story:
https://www.protectourdefenders.com/survivor-stories-jenny/
For more information on the STOP Act, please visit: https://www.protectourdefenders.com/policy-statement/legislation/
About Protect Our Defenders: Protect Our Defenders is a human rights organization. We seek to honor, support and give voice to the brave women and men in uniform who have been sexually assaulted while serving their country, and re-victimized by the military adjudication system – a system that often blames the victim and fails to prosecute the perpetrator. Learn more about Protect Our Defenders at www.protectourdefenders.com or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ProtectOurDefenders or follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/#!/ProtectRDfnders.
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