Honor Betrayed: True Stories of Military Sexual Assault and Its Aftermath Jane Doe #1 →10th Mountain Division.

It’s important to note that these stories can be extremely difficult and triggering to read, so please consider this a trigger warning before proceeding. Furthermore. If you or someone you know has experienced sexual assault in the military, resources are available to help. Here are a few options:

1. The Department of Defense (DOD) Safe Helpline: This is a confidential, anonymous, and secure resource for survivors of sexual assault in the military. You can call 1–877–995–5247 or visit the website at https://www.safehelpline.org to access support and resources.
2. Military OneSource: This is a confidential resource that provides a variety of support services for military personnel and their families, including resources for survivors of sexual assault. You can call 1–800–342–9647 or visit the website at https://www.militaryonesource.mil to access support and resources.
3. The Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN): This is a national organization that provides support and resources for survivors of sexual assault. You can call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1–800–656-HOPE (4673) or visit the website at https://www.rainn.org to access support and resources.

It’s important to remember that you are not alone and that people and resources are available to help you. It takes courage to reach out for support; it is never your fault if you have experienced sexual assault.

Let’s dive into the first story of this series.

The military has a disturbing and persistent problem of sexual assault that too often goes unpunished. According to a recent report, nearly 20,000 military service members experienced sexual assault in 2018, but only a fraction of these cases were actually prosecuted. This means that many perpetrators of these crimes can continue serving in the military while their victims are left to suffer in silence and without justice. This is a clear betrayal of the values and principles our military is supposed to uphold, and it is a problem that must be addressed with urgency and determination.

This first story regarding Jane Doe #1 is written with as few identifying details as possible to protect the victim's privacy.

Jane was a female soldier serving on a base in Afghanistan when she experienced an alleged sexual assault by her immediate supervisor. She initiated an investigation after her alleged assault, which immediately led to retaliation by the supervisor. Jane’s inner circle was unaware of the alleged sexual assault but noticed that things for her had changed immediately, almost overnight.

Jane had always been almost a favored soldier by her supervisor, as was evident based on situations where she should have gotten in trouble and did not. An example would be maybe she missed morning PT or morning accountability formations, and he would indicate to her platoon sergeant (who was not her immediate supervisor but was responsible for her during accountability formations) or squad leader that it was excused. After she alleged assault and initiated an investigation, her immediate supervisor began attempting to discredit her story by stating that he had caught her in a room alone with a male peer (whom she worked with regularly) alone. Their behavior was “suspicious” and gave the appearance of adultery, and she was just mad because he was recommending her for an Article 15 since she was married(Adultery is illegal in the military).

Jane was moved to another platoon temporarily while the investigation was being conducted. However, she continued to work side by side with her alleged perpetrator, who was now creating a hostile work environment for her.

While her peers were unaware of the investigation or the alleged events that led to it, they noticed a change in her behavior and her supervisor's behavior towards her. Unfortunately, when the investigation concluded, Jane was advised that due to the nature of the allegations and lack of evidence, it was a he-said-she-said situation. She had not been offered a rape kit when she made these allegations within a few hours after the incident occurred. Had a rape kit been offered as per the protocol at the time, she may have had a better chance of proving her case.

In 2009, the protocol for allegations of rape on deployment in the U.S. military was to refer victims to a Sexual Assault Response Coordinator (SARC) or Victim Advocate (VA). The SARC/VA would provide information regarding reporting options and available services, as well as provide crisis intervention counseling and advocacy support during investigative proceedings. Additionally, all service members who were victims of sexual assault were offered medical care, and evidence collection services for a Sexual Assault Forensic Examination (SAFE) Kit within 96 hours of the incident to preserve evidence and optimize the chances of successful investigation and prosecution.

Jane was not offered the SARC or the Victim’s Advocate. Upon conclusion of the investigation, she was transferred to another unit where she felt she was treated like a pariah. Her previous supervisor ensured her new unit received a summary of why she was being transferred before her arrival there, making her appear to be a troublemaker. This had an effect on how she was received and treated in her new unit. Jane managed to push down all her memories of the alleged sexual assault she experienced and survive being part of her new unit until her ETS date.

At some point after the sexual assault and her transfer to her new unit Jane began taking prescription opioids. This continued into a long-term addiction that eventually took over her entire life. This story has a very personal connection to me. Jane was my friend, and I had no idea what she had been dealing with. When she finally told me, I found myself in shock.

In 2014 Jane called me in severe emotional distress and begged me to be her therapist. At the time, I was still working on my Bachelor’s Degree, and I explained to her that I was not a qualified therapist and that I hadn’t even finished school yet, and that I couldn’t be her therapist even if I were qualified because I was her friend. I did offer to hear her out and provide her with resources, and she allowed me to listen and give her information on where she could find help.

When Jane reached out to me, I was acutely aware of her battle with addiction; she had been open and candid with me over the years. However, I was shocked when she started relaying her story to me as I remembered there had been an investigation, but I had no idea what it was about. She not only shared with me in (disturbingly graphic detail) what she had experienced but that before this alleged assault, her perpetrator had continually made unwanted advances toward her, which she repeatedly declined before the assault occurred. After we hung up, I reflected on everything she had told me and tried to process it all when it hit me that something else had happened that didn’t make sense at the time, but it did now.

Sometime in 2012, after I had ETS’ed from the Army and had returned home, my mom notified me that an investigator had been trying to contact me. I returned the call from this investigator, who asked me if I had any additional information about a sexual assault that had occurred while I was deployed to Afghanistan. I told the investigator I wasn’t aware of anyone who had been assaulted while deployed and that I would need more information because I could not recall anything I could have witnessed. Of course, I am sure he could not provide more information for obvious reasons, but he said at least two or three times, “you were specifically named as someone who may have been aware this event occurred.” I apologized because I could not think of anything that would be helpful and eventually forgot about this call completely.

I will never know if this call was about the incident that Jane had reported because I never got a chance to ask her. The next few times that we chatted, it was a superficial conversation. She avoided discussions about whether she had received therapy or been able to address her addiction. She eventually passed away from an overdose. It pains me to know that she suffered alone in silence for years, and I feel like the military’s failure to follow protocol and take her claims seriously were the catalysts for her decline in quality of life.

There are several ways an individual can report sexual assault in the military. Some options include:

1. Restricted Reporting: This allows a survivor to confidentially disclose the assault to certain designated individuals, such as a chaplain, victim advocate, or healthcare provider, without triggering an investigation. This option allows the survivor to receive support and medical care without formally reporting the assault.
2. Unrestricted Reporting: This allows a survivor to report the assault, which will trigger an investigation formally. This option allows the perpetrator to be held accountable and can result in criminal charges.
3. Reporting to a Supervisor: A survivor can also report the assault to their immediate supervisor, who must pass the report on to the appropriate authorities.
4. Military Equal Opportunity Office: A survivor can also report the assault to their Military Equal Opportunity (MEO) office, which is responsible for addressing issues of discrimination and harassment.

When it comes to sexual assault, no matter which way the survivor chooses to address it, it continues to retraumatize them. In the military, this becomes more complicated because, as a soldier, you lose some of your individual privacy as a byproduct of career choice. When you report a sexual assault that is not restricted, your chain of command is made aware of your circumstances. A healthy chain of command will keep something this sensitive on a need-to-know basis but more often than not, people who don’t need to know often hear bits and pieces of whatever is going on.

Unrestricted reporting leads to an investigation in which the survivor may have to tell their story repeatedly. If charges are brought forth, they may get to repeat their story again for the judicial process. If the perpetrator is acquitted, they may feel as if they had suffered through all of that for no reason.

If a restricted report is filed, they may have to continue working with their perpetrator and be offered support services. Furthermore, they cannot confide in any cohorts if they file a restricted report, as other servicemembers are mandated to report a sexual assault allegation.

It is deeply distressing that a woman who has bravely served her country by being deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan could return home traumatized by the actions of a coworker rather than by the horrors of war. It is unacceptable that anyone, let alone a brave and dedicated service member, should suffer the trauma of sexual assault. The military must do more to address and prevent these crimes and to support and protect survivors. We must all work together to create a culture of respect and consent and to ensure that perpetrators are held accountable for their actions.

It is important for the military to prioritize the safety and well-being of all service members and to create a culture where sexual assault is not tolerated.

If you or someone you know would like to share your story regarding this topic, please email Jamie at jamie@flawedbydesignllc.com to schedule an interview. All stories will be confidential and protect individual identifying information.

Jamie is a former addiction counselor who now writes fiction about substance abuse and mental health issues. She has authored two short novels in her Memoirs of a Black Sheep series and a series she co-authors, The Borderline Chronicles, on Amazon Kindle Vella. Jamie has also formed her own small publishing company, Flawed By Design Publishing LLC, where she produces her published works and offers other writing and media services.

Flawed by Design is a woman-owned, veteran-owned business for those who seek a writing coach, editor, or proofreader.