By Lynn Post |Staff Writer|
A person’s worst fear about joining the military is the possibility of getting injured or killed in battle, but a more common disaster being made apparent through recent news coverage is the possibility of getting sexually assaulted.
As a soldier, your goal is to serve your country and help keep your friends and family safe from attacks.
You enlist and work hard to move up the ranks and do the best job you can, but with the new statistics surrounding rape, enlisting in the military has more cause for caution.
The percentage of rape in the military has increased by 73 percent from 2010 to 2012 according to a report released by The Pentagon on May 7.
With the number of military rapes climbing, some people are starting to wonder how many have occurred that the public was not informed of, CSUSB student Zareena Malone is one of them.
“As far as the military goes there should be some type equity […] There’s a lot of covering up and that makes it impossible for rape victims to come out and tell their story, because they are worried about the consequences,” said Malone.
Congress is currently drafting new legislation for more punishment of sex offenders, but military personnel are not personally included in the bill.
More should be done to protect both men and women in the military from being raped.
This is a dangerous environment to be in, because there are weapons present and people who know how to use them.
That means it is up to the government on how they want to handle their employees.
The Pentagon has also started to retrain and re-screen Sexual Assault Prevention Officers after one of their own was charged with alleged sexual assault.
The sergeant is currently under investigation for allegations of pandering, abusive sexual contact, assault and maltreatment of subordinates, according to a report released by The Pentagon
Article 120 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) states a rapist in the military can receive the death penalty.
Yet some preventative methods are already in place, with several more and educational programs to come.
One new way the military is trying to decrease rape is through the program “Sex Signals.”
The U.S. Army hired Catharsis Productions to discuss dating, sex and acquaintance rape through skits and mini-plays for service members in a comedic and educational way, according to their website.
For service men and women to stay safe in the summer the army is launching a “Know the Signs” campaign.
The campaign was designed to instruct soldiers to stay diligent and alert to possible dangers in the summer when soldiers and family members are off duty and off base.
These programs may not be enough.
Carl Levin, the chairman of the Armed Services Committee was quoted saying, “Tragically, the depth of the sexual assault problem in our military was already overwhelmingly clear before this latest highly disturbing report.”
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