American soldiers attacked by American soldiers

According to the Defense Department, from August 2002 through October 2004, 118 cases of sexual assault on military personnel were reported in Iraq, Kuwait and Afghanistan. The Miles Foundation, a nonprofit organization that helps victims of military domestic violence and sexual assault, reports that it was contacted by 258 military assault victims in the combat theater during that time, and that number rose to 307 through mid-February. We have no way of knowing how many women did not make reports, but my guess is that the number is high.

Female soldiers who served in Iraq say that the rules against fraternization are completely ignored, and platoon leaders hand out condoms to soldiers.

The Sacramento Bee has a report about a woman who dared to press charges against her commanding officer, who then threatened to beat her up, and to beat up another woman who had joined the complaint.

General John Jumper, Air Force chief of staff, talking to reporters about the 142 reported sexual assaults at the Air Force Academy between 1993 and 2002, had this choice bit of wisdom to offer:

The contemporary culture is more promiscuous in recent years ... and people who come to the academy reflect the contemporary culture ... so it's not a climate at the Air Force Academy or a climate in the Air Force, there's a climate in the nation. You watch halftime shows at the Super Bowl or "Girls Gone Wild" or whatever the heck is on MTV, you can see what today's youth brings to whatever they do.

So, in the military, it is inappropriate to dress like the rest of the culture, or to spend your time like the rest of the culture, or to have autonomy like the rest of the culture, but it's just dandy to go ahead and emulate MTV and make female soldiers your victims. I think I get it now.