woMEN in the War Zone

Myers pieces are some of the most interesting articles we've read to date because he brings up current topics with issues I would normally never think of. That is, it is evident that the US has troops overseas fighting in the Middle East and I probably would not think twice about the fact that women make up a small percentage of troops sent, but I would never had thought about the abuse and assault that many women experience during the context of wartime.

In both Myers articles, he explores the co-ed living situations in the foreign camps, sexual abuse that goes on as a result, and what necessary changes are being made to reduce the number of cases every year. A Peril in War Zones: Sexual Abuse by Fellow G.I.'s follows the accounts of Captain Margaret H. White who began a sexual relationship with a warrant officer prior to leaving for Iraq. When they were eventually deployed and living abroad, White began feeling bombarded by the officers advancements and did her best to avoid him at the camp. "'It go to the point that I felt safer outside the wire,' Captain White said". White felt concerned coming forward about her abuse because the officer was higher ranked than she was and she feared that her case would not be taken seriously. Also, "she did not report it, she said, because she feared that her commanders would have reacted harshly--toward her." These are relevant concerns revolving around those who are abused in these war time environments and are the main factor why more cases are not reported and thus the abuse continues. In fact the only reason why White's statement was eventually filed was because she was part of another investigation involving the officer. In the end, he was charged and found guilty for a total of 19 offenses.

Unfortunately, White's case is not uncommon. Many number of cases are reported every year and even more cases are left undisclosed. Myers points out the statistics in his article stating that there were 2908 sexual assault cases reported in 2008 which was a 8% increase from the previous year. This increase could be a good thing, however, since it could reflect how more people are feeling comfortable coming forward about their attacks, whether because more action is being taken or the stigma of accusing others is decreasing. On the other hand, although, "the Army ... has increased the number of investigators and lawyers trained to investigate accusations," a significant reason for the increase in reported cases, it is clear that there still is not a 100% level of disclosure. One reason in particular stood out to me and that was that the victims had been engaging in "misconduct for which they could be disciplined, such as under-age drinking, fraternization or adultery." Myers gave the example of Marti Riberiro who was an Air Force sergeant. She argued that she had been raped when she left her post to smoke a cigarette. When she came forward, her commanding officers threatened to prosecute her for leaving not only her post, but her weapon as well.

I think it is clear that the battle to limit the number of sexual assault cases in war zones is far from close to being over. New laws must be enforced through the pentagon and then seen through overseas by high level commanders. It is a sad truth that these occurrences happen, but I think with commitment and tolerance we will be able to see big changes in the near future.