31 victims identified in widening Air Force sex scandal

[æonpax]

(CNN) -- The U.S. Air Force has now identified at least 31 women as victims in a growing sex scandal, a four-star general said Thursday, and there might be more. The Air Force is broadening its investigation to "actively seek any others that may have been affected by this," Gen. Edward Rice, the commander of Air Force Training, said.

"We are taking a comprehensive look not only at the cases that we know, but trying to do the best we can to assess whether or not there are other cases out there," Rice told reporters at the Pentagon.

Rice said the Air Force had taken "the unprecedented step" of shutting down all recruit training for one day to give a written survey to all basic military trainees at Lackland Air Force base. The Texas base has become the focal point of the growing scandal. - http://www.cnn.com/2012/06/28/justice/texas-air-force-scandal/index.html?hpt=us_c2


This falls on the heels of a documentary film being released across the US (at select theaters) today named; “Invisible War" which deals with rape, specifically against females, in the US Military. - http://in.reuters.com/article/2012/06/19/entertainment-us-invisiblewar-idINBRE85I1SZ20120619

I have been writing about this since before the immoral invasion of Iraq. There is NO excuse for this or the military's cover-up.

[void()]

This falls on the heels of a documentary film being released across the US (at select theaters) today named; “Invisible War" which deals with rape, specifically against females, in the US Military. - http://in.reuters.com/article/2012/06/19/entertainment-us-invisiblewar-idINBRE85I1SZ20120619

I have been writing about this since before the immoral invasion of Iraq. There is NO excuse for this or the military's cover-up.

Not denying nor belittling, however after CNN's royal fudge yesterday, their media coverage now elicits scrutiny from me. Most media does, before yesterday I considered CNN beyond most media.

[Gearbox]

The "There's no such thing as instructors having consensual sex with young female recruits.", bit (in the first linked vid) is kind of worrying.
Is that due to the females being under-age?

[tenni]

This is not unique to the US military. Similar problems exist and have existed in the RCMP (Royal Canadian Military Police). Similar accusations have been made in the past about the Canadian military. What about the British, Australian, French, etc. military? Whenever a military style of discipline is used there can be people who cross a line that they should not..sexual or otherwise.

[elian]

Rape?! This sucks, why can't people keep it in their pants??

[darkeyes]

This is not unique to the US military. Similar problems exist and have existed in the RCMP (Royal Canadian Military Police). Similar accusations have been made in the past about the Canadian military. What about the British, Australian, French, etc. military? Whenever a military style of discipline is used there can be people who cross a line that they should not..sexual or otherwise.
This was published in the Guardian this week,tenni http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/jun/14/culture-coverup-rape-ranks-us-military and it prompted me to search just what is going on the British military.. but apart from reported cases which do occur rather too frequently I am unable to find very much real information on the subject.. there are always people who cross the line u are right, and that the military and government should act to erradicate the problem as much as they can is unquestioned.. in the US at least the problem is out there in the public domain.. elsewhere it seems not so much... i have contacted my MP and MSP however to ask the question and find out and still trying to search out info...

[æonpax]

Two things about this issue,

* The almost complete lack of coverage of it by the corporate controlled media, and
* The US Military's, "old boy" network which is desperate to hide this problem.

Statistically, you have a far greater chance of getting sexually molested, assaulted and/or raped than if you stayed out of the US military.

1) Trailer for the film, "The Invisible War"

(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gflcgdfj82Q&feature=player_embedded)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gflcgdfj82Q&feature=player_embedded (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gflcgdfj82Q&feature=player_embedded)



2) "Rape in the Military a Culture of Coverup" - http://readersupportednews.org/opinion2/273-40/11931-rape-in-the-military-a-culture-of-coverup

3) The "US Marines Rape" (The US State department is legally trying to delete this site) - http://www.theusmarinesrape.com/

4) Women Under Siege Project - http://www.womenundersiegeproject.org/

[pepperjack]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_General's_Daughter_(film)
A very good whodunit which I think effectively dramatizes the issue.

[Long Duck Dong]

I would have posted earlier but I had to get some legal ( and other advice ) about what I am going to say..... I have served in the past in the NZ military so part of what I am going to say, is based on personal experience but in no way am I condoning rape or sexual assault...

the idea that you take a person, * dehumanize them * then turn them into a fighting / killing machine that understands orders and directives without question, is part of what can make up military training... and a aspect of that, is the removal of a persons humanity and empathy.... as that is what you want in a soldier, a person that has no issues with war, combat or taking a human life..... otherwise you end up with people that are mentally and emotionally screwed up by the effects of wartime and combat...

you can not take males and females, put them in a situation where their humanity and rationalizing is taken from them and then expect them to act like civilized human beings with feelings, emotions, thoughts and moral / ethical decision making

the sexual assault / rape ( and I am not condoning them or justifying them ) can actually be a attempt to retain some aspect of humanity in some soldiers, but it comes out wrong as it is devoid of the subtle aspects of humanity that we find in a lover / partner.... instead you get the sociopathic type of thinking and action, devoid of most emotion and empathy....

it is something that has been warned and warned and warned about by ex vets, ex military and current military people, based around centuries of war. combat and the cruel reality of what it does to people, but that has been ignored by equal rights and human rights advocates that are more concerned with having males and females in the military and in equal roles........ there is nothing wrong with females serving in the military, they can do the job equal to and at times, better than males....but that is a two way street........ the issue arises when aspects of human nature come into play such as forced celibacy ( look at the catholic church for example ) dehumanizing and removing of humanity ( same thing emerges with cults ) and the effects of extreme stress, tension and strain beyond a persons ability to mentally handle them and adapt to them without snapping ( PTSD for example )

I know this, cos it was part of my own training and part of the reason that I was chosen to serve in the areas and ways that I did, I have the type of personality that allows me to endure things that are well beyond normal human limits, without ill effect.... aspects of my own military service, showed that I had the traits that were looked for in soldiers, the type of soldiers that you can send out into the field, leave them there, then extract them later....and when you put them back into society, they *disappear * without causing waves or issues.....

some of the soldiers that have done the rape / sexual assault, will be of two groups, the ones trying to be * normal * in a abnormal way, and the others that are merely displaying their true nature in that they lack empathy, morals and ethics..... part of the reason for the cover up, will be cause of troop spirit and the other part is cos issues like that, are not a good look for the *equal rights and enlistment * movement... and cos they are finding the part of soldiers that are more preferably.....

personally myself, if any member of my unit had acted against any civilian or fellow person in a less than respectful way, I would have wanted them out of the unit cos if they do that on base or off it, they are definitely more likely to do it out in the field or *snap * and do a * rambo *..... and its cos of thinking like that, that I became aware of the * unspoken code * of the military forces......

here in NZ, a person would end up on charges very quickly now if they assaulted a female or male, sexually or otherwise.... but then again, we no longer have the military that we once did..... the outfall from NAM and other *areas of involvement * have resulted in that.... and that also means that NZ is no longer able to defend itself either, we rely on the US and australia to defend us and that has become very clear by the us troops that will be coming to NZ to set up bases in NZ

look for links online about most of what I say, and you will not find it..... as its part of the * unspoken code * its not in writing, its a understanding in the military.... tho you will be able to find out info about the us pacific agreement...

while people say that sexual assault / rape in the military is wrong, I will agree... but I will also say, people were told and told, but equal rights was more important than safety and wellbeing...... so the issue was created by the very people that now complain about the results of what they created

[csrakate]

while people say that sexual assault / rape in the military is wrong, I will agree... but I will also say, people were told and told, but equal rights was more important than safety and wellbeing...... so the issue was created by the very people that now complain about the results of what they created

WTF???? I simply have no words right now......think I would be better served to finish unloading my groceries in the 100 degrees plus weather than to attempt to deal with this statement......(shakes her head as she heads out to the car with her grocery cart)....sigh

[æonpax]

<snip/unsnip>the idea that you take a person, * dehumanize them * then turn them into a fighting / killing machine that understands orders and directives without question, is part of what can make up military training... and a aspect of that, is the removal of a persons humanity and empathy.... as that is what you want in a soldier, a person that has no issues with war, combat or taking a human life..... otherwise you end up with people that are mentally and emotionally screwed up by the effects of wartime and combat...

you can not take males and females, put them in a situation where their humanity and rationalizing is taken from them and then expect them to act like civilized human beings with feelings, emotions, thoughts and moral / ethical decision making

the sexual assault / rape ( and I am not condoning them or justifying them ) can actually be a attempt to retain some aspect of humanity in some soldiers, but it comes out wrong as it is devoid of the subtle aspects of humanity that we find in a lover / partner.... instead you get the sociopathic type of thinking and action, devoid of most emotion and empathy.... <snipped for brevity>
`

Interesting take. I’ve not seen this before. Very logical. It’s not an excuse but it is a reasonable factor to consider.


Off topic - In senior year in high school, I was being heavily recruited to join either of the four US military branches, but I declined. It was also about that time I dated some guys that were a bit older and coincidentally, were Vietnam Vets. They told me a lot of things about that war and most of it tore apart the very foundation of my naive beliefs which eventually formed into what I am now;



a Cynic.

[tenni]

Canada has had women serving in the military for some time now. I have a cousin who was in the top of the military echelon. He didn't give a lot of detail except about ten years ago mentioned the difficulty of getting some male soldiers to accept women with rights equal to men. Certain men in the military had this problem at several levels based on what he inferred. It was not all the base boot camp soldier. Why some men had this problem and not all men in the military I do not know. I would not be surprised if there had not been research of some type that has not been made public. The upper echeolons of all military organizations may not be as blind as we may think that they are.

Then again, last year it was revealed that a military man with high ranking had actually been breaking into women's homes, stealing their underwear and photographing it. His behaviour continued to escalate over years and eventually he killed two women and one was under his command. He raped them and a few other women. He even hid in their houses waiting for them. He was not detected by any screening by the military. He had been made the commander of a military base. This has shocked the military and general population that such a person could evade detection for so many years.(decades) He was stripped of all military ranking but the shame on the military is hard to ignore.

[Long Duck Dong]

`

Interesting take. I’ve not seen this before. Very logical. It’s not an excuse but it is a reasonable factor to consider.


Off topic - In senior year in high school, I was being heavily recruited to join either of the four US military branches, but I declined. It was also about that time I dated some guys that were a bit older and coincidentally, were Vietnam Vets. They told me a lot of things about that war and most of it tore apart the very foundation of my naive beliefs which eventually formed into what I am now;



a Cynic.



thank you.....

think about how sexual assault / rape is more power than sex motivated.. then reread my post and it may make even more sense.... the male and female become the superior officer and the cadet.. no longer people but things.... dehumanizing is the most dangerous thing that society can do, but we do it all the time when we see people as sexuality, race, religion, culture and belief and no longer as human beings.... the military just take something that already exists and refines it, focuses it and then ..... well you have dated nam vets, I think that you get the picture better than I can explain it

and yes, its no excuse.... just a reason why some things can happen..... but still no excuse

[darkeyes]

`

Interesting take. I’ve not seen this before. Very logical. It’s not an excuse but it is a reasonable factor to consider.


Off topic - In senior year in high school, I was being heavily recruited to join either of the four US military branches, but I declined. It was also about that time I dated some guys that were a bit older and coincidentally, were Vietnam Vets. They told me a lot of things about that war and most of it tore apart the very foundation of my naive beliefs which eventually formed into what I am now;



a Cynic.


I have..often..too often.. it is an argument which was and is used frequently as reasons why women should not be put into certain military situations and working in the field with men... it is the beginning to some of excuse, and no Duckie, I am not saying u are excusing it...but many do use it as excuse.. it is also the reason and excuse given very often for rape and even murder of civilians, both on and off the operational area...and also may I add for the rape of young male teenage recruits and other male soldiers by their "comrades" even in home based barracks and the rape and murder of young boys and other male civilians again both on and off the operational area...... I have heard it.. and it should be fully exposed, owned up to and not covered up, and it should be properly dealt with and eradicated as best as it can be...

[12voltman59]

I don't agree with the notions that putting men and women together is automatically going to lead to men sexually assaulting the women they serve with----the real problem is that the top brass of the services have not taken a ZERO TOLERANCE stance in regards to such things as this--even though of course---the top brass cannot totally control the attitudes or actions on those in the ranks--BUT--if they developed a stance, that from the very first day of boot camp----that each and every individual who volunteers to serve the nation--is to be respected and valued---and that anyone who assaults in any way---their fellow soldiers, sailors, Marines, Guardians, etc---will be dealt with in a serious and hard way--especially when it comes to men sexually assaulting women--if a male member of the service does so----he will feel the full power and wrath of the military's legal system--with serious consequences should he be found guilty of having done such an assault.

Only with the military brass taking such a hard core, we will make you a long term prisoner stance on the part of the military leadership towards this sort of thing----will it go a long way in greatly reducing such incidents--but as it is since they don't take these cases all the seriously, such an attitude basically lets men get away with impunity such behavior---such as the case of the female Marine from my area who was raped by her fellow Marine boyfriend, then he subsequently murdered her only after the service had long made her out to be just another bitch who got pissed that her boyfriend started dating another girl and was trying to get back at him---but they finally did take it seriously when other women came forward to report he had raped them as well and the thing blew up in the local media around Camp LeJune, NC---he then killed her, cut up her body, burned the parts in a drum in his back yard then buried her in that drum in the back yard--he took off for Mexico---but was eventually caught and is now in prison.


I was disheartened to learn that my own former service, the Coast Guard, also had a number of cases of this sort in that the top leadership doesn't seem to take such reports seriously and also apparently has a high rate of such incidents.