America’s Female Warriors: “Deep Wounds, Little Care”

A book detailing personal stories of American servicewomen is to be published in the United States shortly and US military commanders may find some of those stories unpalatable. Last Memorial Day, as an ever-increasing number of mentally- and physically-wounded soldiers return from Iraq and Afghanistan, the Department of Veterans Affairs reportedly faced a pressing crisis. It appears that women become traumatised not only by combat, but, also by sexual abuse and harassment from their fellow service personnel. The department is said to be failing to deal with this problem adequately. 

Army statistics say that women make up some 15 percent of United States active duty forces, and 11 percent of the soldiers deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan. Incredibly, almost a third of female veterans say they were sexually assaulted or raped whilst in the military, and 71 to 90 percent say they were sexually harassed by the men with whom they served. This sort of abuse drastically increases the risk and intensity of post-traumatic stress disorder. The threat of post-traumatic stress has risen in recent years as women’s roles in war have changed. More of them now come under fire, suffer battle wounds, and kill the enemy, just as men do. 

As women return for repeat tours in combat zones, usually redeploying with the same units, many must go back to war with the same men who abused them. This leaves these women as threatened by their own comrades as by the war itself. Yet, the combination of sexual abuse and combat has barely been acknowledged by the military or studied by medical experts. 

Last April, when the RAND Corporation released a major non-military survey of the mental health of troops since 2001, it basically reflected this lack of research. The RAND survey found that women suffer from higher rates of post-traumatic stress disorder and depression than men do. 

A book to be released shortly called The Lonely Soldier by Helen Benedict, a Columbia University professor, is not about GI Jane, as depicted in the famous movie starring Demi Moore. It relates stories of personal hardships and humiliation suffered by humble US Army servicewomen. She is the one who suffers the most at the hands of her male comrades-in-arms, as is told in the pages of this book. 

18 June 2008

Yuri Reshetnikov

Voice of Russia World Service
http://www.ruvr.ru/main.php?lng=eng&q=28542&cid=87&p=18.06.2008 (in English)

Editor’s Note:

Not only are women in uniform nearing the end of their rope, so are the men. George Bush has dramatically increased the workload of the troops without increasing the forces to a level where they could do the job effectively. The US has only some 33 manoeuvre brigades in its active army (plus nine USMC brigade-equivalents), which means that most of the troops are kept on line for longer periods than is wise. In short, morale amongst the troops is low (although they shall never say so) and there are no reserves either of equipment or manpower left to deal with any crisis that may erupt outside of Iraq or Afghanistan (both peripheral areas to vital US national interests, by the way).

I weep for our troops. They are being abused by an administration that is trying to run a war on the cheap, they are given nonsensical rules of engagement, and they are sent to combat more frequently than is prudent for their mental health. If our war-weary troops were to face a fresh, adequately-trained, well-armed, and confident foe, the results would be disastrous. Our troops deserve better. Either raise the level of the forces so that a victory can be achieved or withdraw them. There is no other way.

As for our brave soldiers, I support you. Thank you.

As for those who shall never return… Vechnaya Pamyat. Eternal Memory.

There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.