Report from Veterans and Military Families for Progress Conference
Posted by Katy in 
Marlisa Grogan
On October 22, 2011, I had the pleasure of moderating the “Women’s Issues Forum” at the Veterans and Military Families for Progress (VMFP) 2011 National Conference held in Arlington, VA. It was a great opportunity to raise awareness about the current challenges women veterans face upon their reintegration into civilian life as well as the critical needs of women currently serving in the military and that of their families. Having worked for SWAN’s Peer Support Helpline until recently, I felt committed to voicing the concerns raised by our clients, who play such an important role in informing the policies for which SWAN advocates.
Panelists each had 5-10 minutes to introduce ourselves and highlight the work that we’re doing. I gave an overview of SWAN, using the mission and vision statements as a basis to explain what SWAN does. Other panelists were:
Kayla Williams (author, Love My Rifle More Than You)
Linda Kreter (founder of VeteranCaregiver.com)
Pamela Stokes Eggleston (Development Director of Blue Star Families)
Audience members were very engaged, asking many questions and sharing their own experiences as veterans or military family members. We discussed a range of topics, spanning from the positive effect of the repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell (DADT) on service women, being that they have been disproportionately affected by the policy, to women veterans’ varied experiences at VA Medical Centers (VAMC).
Question 21: Making Progress
SWAN is working to change Standard Form 86 to protect survivors of military sexual assaults
In the last 7 years, have you consulted with a mental health professional (psychiatrist, psychologist, counselor, etc.) or have you consulted with another health care provider about a mental health related condition? – Question 21, Standard Form 86 “Questionnaire for National Security Positions”
*UPDATE – In the first week of 2012, the ODNI informed Congress that the Question 21 change is currently in “Executive Coordination”. SWAN is making another push on this issue and urges all supporters to reach out to Dr. Clapper and help to make this essential change happen now.
Earlier this year, SWAN began working with several Congressional legislators, including Rep Chellie Pingree and Rep Jackie Speier, to engage members of the administration to change the wording of security clearance applications so that survivors of sexual violence in the military do not have to disclose counseling they received as a result of their sexual assault. After hearing from many survivors, it became evident that Question 21 is a huge barrier that keeps service members from seeking out counseling or other mental health services following a sexual assault. Answering “Yes” to Question 21 leads to the survivor being subjected to an investigation where they are required to provide the details of their sexual assault to non-medical personnel. Such disclosure can be retriggering and devastatingly retraumatizing.
Considering Cioca v. Rumsfeld
SWAN Helpline Caseworker Rebekah Havrilla
I must make a confession – the Cioca v. Rumsfeld case has been dismissed – and honestly, I’m ok with that. In fact, I’m relieved. When this lawsuit dropped in February, I was unemployed, living with a friend and navigating this experience practically on my own. The media exposure was intense but I felt that the reasons I had for involving myself with this lawsuit were worth the potential discomfort and emotional distress.
Now it is December. Things are very different for me. I have a full-time job, live in NYC and consider my work to be fulfilling, rewarding and very challenging. Much of the challenge comes from navigating the personal and professional overlap that manifests itself in my work almost every day. There is still a lot of media attention; I’ve found that I am not fond of googling my name and discovering there is more about me online than most people would want the general public to know. But if I could go back and take myself out of the lawsuit, I wouldn’t.
I’m not very happy with the reasoning behind the dismissal of the case, or the arguments the DOD put forth about why they felt the suit should have been dismissed. I find it problematic that there is no external judicial remedy for those who have served within the military system. It is also extremely disturbing that rape can still be considered “incident to military service.” There is still much that needs to be addressed. But now that the lawsuit has been dismissed, I’ve had a day or two to reflect on what changes have occurred as a result of this suit. I stepped into a public forum along with a few other brave souls with the intent of bringing awareness to a serious issue within the military. I also wanted to help others feel safe about telling their own stories. Both of these things have occurred, and more. Hundreds of other people came forward with their stories. Media attention and awareness drove many legislative actions and departmental changes within the Department of Defense culminating in the most recent legislative effort – the STOP Act. These changes would not have occurred if people had not made the active choice to involve themselves. I cannot speak for everyone but I can imagine based on my own involvement how much thought must have gone into deciding to step up and speak out, and how much anxiety this decision may have caused them. I know how much emotional distress there may have been from continuing to navigate this very tough system myself.
I don’t think anyone can go through a process such as this and not be affected and/or changed by the experience. I have always been willing to do things that were outside my gender norm and have considered myself to be a go-getter willing to put myself into situations many people would shy away from. I’ve accomplished more in my almost 30 years than many people will in a lifetime and I can be proud of those things. Participating in this lawsuit is something I can include on my list of accomplishments. I stood up, spoke out and faced the dragon head on. I’ve helped people, touched lives and hopefully made a positive impression on most of the people I’ve come in contact with. I’ve helped affect changes in a system that are tangible and measurable, and I will continue to do so. That said, I’m still glad that this part of the lawsuit is over – because I’m tired. I need a break and I need time to reflect and plan for my next steps forward. I’m not the same person I was and I need time to figure out what is next for me.
Thanks to all of the brave men and women who stepped out with me and for the support you all have provided. I don’t think any of us could have done this on our own. There is strength in numbers and I challenge everyone out there to join with us in continuing to pursue the necessary changes that still need to occur. Change doesn’t happen quickly but there ARE changes happening and we can all be heard. So let them hear us.
Straight Back Chair
My mom takes something readable with her wherever she goes – magazines, newspapers, books – anything will do as long as she can read at any given moment. She also likes to share what she’s read, often saving newspaper clippings of passages deemed worthy of re-reading or ones that adeptly express an opinion she held or describe a matter she considers important. She mails them off to me wherever I live or holds onto them until she sees me in person. Recently, my mom snipped and saved this piece, from Chapel Hill’s The News and Observer “Silent fight: Sex assault against servicewomen.” [Sunday September 18, 2011, page 19A.] The article, written by Melissa Dribben, states, “A 2010 study commissioned by the DOD found about 70-80% of victims [of sexual abuse or assault] do not report their attacks. Soldiers remain silent because they fear that they will not be believed or that they will be blamed for sending mixed messages. They worry about being branded as weak or damaged or untrustworthy. Among the few victims who come forward, even fewer press charges.”
I know why women don’t want to tell….because you cannot imagine (before it happens to you) that it COULD ever happen to a self-sufficient woman like you….a strong person like you…a Marine, for crying out loud. This sort of thing (I preferred not to name it at first) only happened to unfortunate idiots – not that any woman ever “asks for it” – just that, well, they must’ve been not smart in some way for that to happen to them. Of course I thought rape was horrible for people who truly were victims, but knew with certainty it would not – could not – ever happen to me. Plus, what about all those highly publicized cases where then it turned out that the victim was falsely accusing someone in order to cover up a misdeed of their own? Those seemed to be the cases people talked about most. I rarely recall hearing about a poor girl who was raped by a classmate without at least a hint of skepticism. Surely the statistics couldn’t be correct – that nearly one out of every three women has been sexually assaulted or raped. Maybe those numbers only applied in shady towns, or they referenced attacks on innocent, helpless children by leering, pedophile next-door neighbors.
Therefore, when “it” happened to me two months before my twenty-second birthday, my natural conclusion immediately after the event was that it was my fault. Somehow it was easier to blame myself, punish myself, commit to knowing I needed to change something about myself than to say I’d been sexually assaulted, let alone raped. I perceived myself as a successful go-getter, so this was merely a mistake that needed correcting in order to keep climbing my internal ladder. I’d been drinking that evening, so it must have been a simple case of alcohol-induced judgment impairment. Thus, I imposed a quick fix – I resolved to cut back on drinking and turn up the heat on my self-discipline regimens.