The Invisible War Page #10

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August 2005 to June 2007.

She now suffers from p.T.S.D.

And an abnormal e.E.G.

Due to nerve damage

in her face.

Cioca later told the press,

"it's like the didn't care.

"it wasn't important.

I wasn't important."

- So we're eating at

bob evans,

And we overhear a girl

talking about

Getting ready to go

into the military,

So I go over there and try

to talk to her.

Has anybody told you what

to watch for or anything?

- My boyfriend's

in the navy.

- And so he knows how tough

it is for women?

- Yeah, yeah, he's been in

for a couple months now.

- So how does he feel

about you joining?

Like, isn't he scared that

the men'll do something?

- He's a little scared,

but he knows

I can take care

of myself, so he's-

- Oh, I thought so too,

so be careful.

I definitely let her know

that maybe

She should reconsider

college and getting a degree.

And it'll save her

some of that trouble.

I wish someone would've

told me that.

You try to take care,

okay?

- Thank you.

- You can still back out, huh?

You can be a civilian

worker, you know that.

- I'm not-

I'm not signed yet, but-

- Okay, well, just-

be careful.

- Thank you.

- People always ask me,

"was it worth it going in?"

The idea of it is honorable.

Um, serving your country

is great.

There are great people in it.

And then there are the people

who will end up

Ruining your life.

- Just the other day,

I saw a girl

Running along the road

that looked like

She was about high school age.

She was wearing

a u.S.M.C. T-shirt.

And I thought that-

[crying]

If she joins then

she's gonna have to accept

Rape and destruction

of her life.

I cannot-

in good faith,

I could not recommend

anybody to join

With the way the organization

is set up now.

I would not wish that

on anyone.

- You can't ask women

to serve and then say,

"oh, by the way,

if you get in

"one of these

horrendous situations,

We won't be there

to back you up or to help you."

- When I would do nominations

for the air force academy,

You know, it was difficult

to talk to parents and say,

"uh, don't worry,

if you send her here,

She's not gonna

get raped."

- No. I would tell

my daughter

Not to join the military.

Um, they have good things

to offer,

But a rape is not

one of 'em.

- Uh, not in my lifetime.

[scoffs]

she's not joining, no.

- I would terrified

if my daughter

Wanted to join the military.

I would have a serious,

long talk with her

And hopefully she'd-

the one thing,

That's what she'd listen to.

- Losing even one soldier

needlessly

Because of military

sexual trauma

Is one too many.

[dog barking]

- I'm going to get the mail.

- Okay.

- Fingers crossed.

Here's my fate.

Oh.

- [nervous laughter]

What does it say?

- Um...

"effective

October 20th, 2009."

My overall combined rating

is 70%.

Wait.

"service connection

for anxiety is denied.

"service connection

for disc placement

And bilateral

disc displacement is denied."

Those motherfuckers, man.

Oh, my god.

- Daddy!

- I'll be right there,

shea.

- My face doesn't have

any discs in it.

That's what the x-rays show.

That's what dr. Carcoa's

letters show.

- How can you deny

medical for-

I mean, when there's x-rays?

- [indistinct]

- What?

- [indistinct]

Mommy, [indistinct]?

- Uh-huh, we will.

- "if you do not agree

with our decision,

You should write us

and tell us why."

- 'cause you're an a**hole.

- "and you should identify

specific issues."

- You're an idiot.

- "the evidence was reviewed

showed that you served-"

Whatever, "which is less

than minimum active duty

Requirements

for disability pension."

But you-it wasn't

your choice.

- They're gonna punish me

for what they did.

'cause I was short two months

of two years.

- [indistinct]

- I know.

I feel the same way, shea.

- It's nice to see you again

and thank you for coming.

You have been provided

highlights

Of the numbers

of the report.

And I'll walk you through

those slides,

And then I'm going

to play a short

Public service announcement,

And then we can

entertain questions.

I think the prevention

aspect

Of sexual assault goes back

in some ways

To risk reduction.

- What is risk reduction?

- Risk reductions are ideas

like telling women to,

If they're going to go

somewhere together,

Always have a buddy

with them.

- Are there other examples

of risk reduction?

- Um-I didn't-

I'm not familiar.

But that's out of my area

of expertise.

- Well, I wanna continue

where dr. Whitley left off.

You know, looking at

what our focus is,

And that's on prevention

as well as-as response.

We've really done

a very good job there.

And the credit goes

to dr. Whitley and her staff

That has been working this

for the last five to six years.

- I don't think

the department of defense

Has really yet embraced

that they have

A sexual assault problem.

That it's not just an issue

of the culture environment,

Or that the people at risk

for sexual assault,

That their system itself,

though, just does not value

The rights of victims,

And doesn't provide them

adequate protection.

- You know, I have heard

the accusations as well that

You know, commanders are

sweeping this under the carpet.

Now, what I would say

to the people that have

Come forward to you is,

If you feel your commander

is ignoring

What you have

asked them to do-

If they're not taking care

of you

Within that

chain of command,

You need to go to the D.O.D.

The department of defense

inspector general.

- G.A.O.,

general accounting office,

Just did a study,

a report, and guess what.

Not one-not one case

of more than 2,500

Has been reviewed

and investigated

By the inspector general.

And when asked about that,

The inspector general said,

"well, we have other

higher priorities."

- What you really want

is you want

There to be a system akin

to a civilian system

Where you go to the police

and you-your-

The crime is prosecuted

by an impartial judicial system.

- As a commander,

you have no favorites.

You are equally to take care

of every single person

In your organization.

That's what command

is all about.

- These are human beings,

just like everybody else.

You cannot be impartial

when you are already

Involved with people

in other settings.

- I would take exception

with your characterization

That the disposition

of the case

Is based on the relationship

between

Commander, uh,

and the alleged perpetrator.

- I'm gonna speak to you with

my former commander's hat on.

There is absolutely

no conflict of interest.

You do what

the right thing is to do.

You have other avenues.

And those, if you feel like

you have not been taken care of

Adequately by your commander,

Go up through your congressman

or your congresswoman.

File a complaint that way.

- You cannot-

you can't go

To your congressman to be-

to obtain justice

For being raped.

I mean,

imagine how silly that is.

Imagine if you

told civilians that.

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