VA Update - Sexual Assault

VA Update

Sexual Assault

By Michael Roof

Director, Dept of Veteran Affairs, Grand Traverse County

Active-duty Army member, Vanessa Guillen

We have to do better!

When someone enlists in the military, they hope that they better themselves while serving their county. The farthest thing from their mind is that they could be betrayed by those they serve with.

In the military, there is a term called Military Sexual Assault (MST). It did not have this formal name until recently. Unfortunately, the rash of sexual assaults in the military is not new. In my line of work, I have assisted in filing claims of MST for all types of veterans. One that comes to mind was a young lady that had been assaulted three times and each time she reported the incident to her command. The reports were even followed up with the Military Police or a Judge Advocate officer. I was enraged to hear that each time the command did nothing for her or against the other service member. In fact, they push her out with a less than honorable discharge due to her reports. In the end, we were able to get her benefits, but that doesn’t heal the emotional wounds of what happened to her.

Fast forward to 2020 where active-duty Army member, Vanessa Guillen had complained several times of sexual harassment and was later found dead. While stationed at the 3 rd Cavalry Regiment in Fort Hood, TX, Guillen told members of her family that she faced repeated sexual harassment from a fellow soldier, but Army investigators found no evidence. Like most victims, Guillen did not formally report the allegations due to fear of reprisal. Once word got out that Guillen was making complaints, the offender killed himself when police attempted to arrest him.

Victims of MST struggle in continuing to serve alongside those that harassed them and even after returning to civilian life. Victims often suffer from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, substance abuse, body image issues, self-harm, anxiety, depression, trust issues, and sometimes end their life as all these become too burdensome to handle.

When will we, as a society, start to make these offenders accountable? Not only are we failing in upholding the “zero tolerance” policy, but we are not protecting those who have agreed to serve their country.

To find out more about how you can help or if you have been the victim of sexual assault or harassment, contact the Grand Traverse Dept of Veterans Affairs at 231-995-6070 or call your local Veterans Affairs office.