[Peace-discuss] Tammy Watts Letter in DI

[David Green]

This letter appeared in today's DI, in response to
criticism of AWARE's promotion of a
counter-recruitment video by AFSC:

LETTER: Real military horrors

Posted: 11/13/06

As someone who served on active duty in the Army, I
was offended by John Bambanek's recent whitewashing of
rape and sexual harassment in the military. 

Bambanek bases his vast knowledge of the Armed Forces
on having completed Air Force ROTC (never having
served a day on active duty) and conversations with
"quite a few women" who served. Later, Bambanek posted
on the AWARE list-serve that he had talked to
"several" military women.

A brief rundown of my experience: after completing
Basic Training, I was stationed at the Defense
Language Institute in Monterey, Calif. Supposedly, we
were the "cream of the crop." Two weeks after my
arrival, a girl in my company was raped. Many of my
fellow soldiers were diagnosed with "personality
disorders," and Prozac was doled out like candy. 

After suffering harassment and bullying by NCOs and a
recurring stress fracture in my foot, I received an
administrative discharge from the Army. The first
question I was asked when the proceedings began: "Were
you sexually assaulted?" Evidently, sexual assault is
so commonplace that it is a standard question.

One of my friends, an Iraqi interpreter who worked
with U.S. forces in Mosul, told me about soldiers
pestering him every day to find local women and girls
for them. 

"Defending something good and worth dying for?" Tell
that to Iraqis who are now tattooing identification on
their bodies in case they are blown up. 

"Before You Enlist" should be shown at every high
school in the country. We have a responsibility to
protect our young people from an institution that
shows no regard for their physical, moral and
emotional well-being. 

Tammy Watts

Champaign resident 


 
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