The Enemy Within

James Kitfield reports in this cover story for the National Journal, an in-depth exploration of the problem of military sexual assault featuring interviews with Protect Our Defenders President Nancy Parrish, Honorary Chair Jackie Speier, and Advocacy Board Members Jennifer Norris, Brian Lewis, and Jennifer McClendon:

“Essentially, I was diagnosed with a personality disorder for failing to adjust adequately to being raped,” McClendon says, even though “borderline psychotics … could never make it through boot camp.” According to a Freedom of Information Act request by the Vietnam Veterans of America, the military discharged more than 31,000 service members because of “personality disorder” between 2001 and 2010. As CNN reported recently, however, the Defense Department does not keep figures on how many of those discharges involved sexual-assault victims.

Read the full article.