Editorials
Mark Curnutte's sobering stories about female veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars should remind us that war is a shared national experience.
As the uniformed ranks broaden, so does the impact of the war on the families of those who come home. As the stories on these pages note, women veterans returning from the wars suffer from all of the traumas, anxieties and readjustment issues that men do - and unfortunately from more.
Sexual assault
The disturbing statistics about female veterans who have been sexually harassed and raped merit immediate attention from military and civilian leaders. In years past when there was debate about sending women into combat zones, fears were expressed about the threats they would face if they fell into the hands of the enemy. But these stories report that women often feel a greater risk of being raped by fellow Americans than of being killed by the enemy. There have been more than 216,000 American women who have seen service in Iraq and Afghanistan. Of those, 119 have been killed in military actions. Yet 14.5 percent of them have reported being victims of military sexual trauma.
Far too often women who are sexually assaulted in the military hesitate to report the attacks for fear of appearing weak or of not being believed. For an institution that prides itself on discipline, the statistics on sexual assault in the military show a shocking lack of discipline - lack of discipline among those who would commit such acts and lack of discipline in a service that would tolerate or hesitate to act against such crimes.
Growing roles
The roles of women will not be diminished in the military because of these problems. Women now make up 11.3 percent of the active-duty military. The numbers serving in Iraq and Afghanistan go far beyond those who served in previous wars and their numbers and importance to the nation's military mission can only continue to grow.
The American military does not allow women to serve in combat infantry, armor or artillery units. Women do serve in combat aviation, onboard warships and in support roles for ground troops. In wars with no fixed fronts, where enemy insurgents can blend in with the civilian population, anyone serving in the theater may be exposed to combat. Female members of the military in Iraq and Afghanistan are issued weapons and trained to use them.
Typical veterans
Today's stories note that two of the best-known women to have service in Iraq are Pfc. Jessica Lynch, who was taken prisoner by the Iraqi military during the 2003 invasion and later rescued by U.S. forces, and Pvt. Lynndie England, an Abu Ghraib Prison guard sentenced to three years in prison for her role in mistreating prisoners. Both of their stories have been hyped far beyond their significance by media and military commentators.
Women such as those you see on these pages today - Angela Strittholt, Jennifer Wells, Iva Griggs and Laura Seaman - are far more typical of our female veterans. Hard-working, honorable and proud, their war experiences have forever changed them. They have war stories now, just as men who have served have come home changed, with stories to tell or stories they hold close. We owe them much for their service, just as we owe it to all have put on the nation's uniform.
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