I don't want to draw away from the suffering of those that were actually assaulted, but I've had a few experiences in the military with women and sexual assault. It's been a few years since I was in (I finished my service in '90).

In one instance a friend locked himself out of his room (the doors autolock and you must have your key on hand). Rather than see the Security officer on duty to let him back in he choose to go through another friend's room's window out onto a ledge and work his way down to his room and go in through his open window. Unfortunately he passed in front of the window of a room occupied by a female. She was fully dressed and watching television but upon seeing him immed...

I don't want to draw away from the suffering of those that were actually assaulted, but I've had a few experiences in the military with women and sexual assault. It's been a few years since I was in (I finished my service in '90).

In one instance a friend locked himself out of his room (the doors autolock and you must have your key on hand). Rather than see the Security officer on duty to let him back in he choose to go through another friend's room's window out onto a ledge and work his way down to his room and go in through his open window. Unfortunately he passed in front of the window of a room occupied by a female. She was fully dressed and watching television but upon seeing him immediatly screamed rape.

Another instance was a woman who dated a man, had a falling out, then started accusing him of sexual harassment (they worked together). When witness began stepping forward and denying her charges then she started to complain to the CO about ANYONE who looked at her funny.

Another was a woman that entered my section near the end of my term. She was pregnant and used that excuse to get out of every detail. When I insisted that she at least pushed a broom to clean our section she started accusing me of picking on her for being a woman. When I submitted my monthly performance report of her I was asked if I felt she should be eligible for promotion I reported that I could not make that recommendation because I had never seen her perform any duties and that she needed to finish her pregnancy and then monitored for how well she preformed.

Upon hearing my report she began accusing me of being a womanizer and threatened me with sexual charges if I ever "pissed her off or said anything more against her" and "they would stick because the army is serious about sexual assault".

Luckily I finished my term and was out a few months later. She was promoted immediatly after I left. So you have to understand, when I hear 41%, I have to wonder how many of those are fabricate

I am a young women and will be joining the Navy in October and I didnt know that any of this is going on. I am shocked but I do have to wonder how much of that is the truth, like Ootcloud siad. For example when a man is turned down by a women they sometimes go on to tell their buddies that she is a bitch or that I got with her and she is a whore. In reality she just did not want to get with him but how would his buddies know that. It could be the same mind set for women. Maybe not by getting turned down by a man but just by getting mad at a man etc.... It is the same idea. Now no matter what it is not alright for anyone to be sexualy assulted. But we need a better way to find out the truth....

I am a young women and will be joining the Navy in October and I didnt know that any of this is going on. I am shocked but I do have to wonder how much of that is the truth, like Ootcloud siad. For example when a man is turned down by a women they sometimes go on to tell their buddies that she is a bitch or that I got with her and she is a whore. In reality she just did not want to get with him but how would his buddies know that. It could be the same mind set for women. Maybe not by getting turned down by a man but just by getting mad at a man etc.... It is the same idea. Now no matter what it is not alright for anyone to be sexualy assulted. But we need a better way to find out the truth. It is just as importent for the person assulted as the person being accused. Their is more then one reputation on the line