For both men and women, service in the armed forces inherently involves the risk of injury or illness. From high intensity training to the rigors of daily physical exertion and combat, the military wears on the body, regardless of gender. However, there are disabilities unique to women and others more…
By R. Joseph Pilgrim, Veterans Attorney Service in the US Navy is different than that of any other branch, as life aboard ships presents hazards many may not be aware of. From using different chemicals to working on the flight deck, shipboard life presents many opportunities for illness and injury.…
What is military sexual trauma (MST)? This is a hot topic in Veteran Affairs. The U.S. Committee on Veterans Affairs recently issued a press release introducing a bill to expand the definition of military sexual trauma (MST) to include cyber harassment. This bill formed in the wake of reports of…
Human Rights Watch recently issued a report on the survivors of military sexual trauma (MST) and their treatment after reporting the assault. Although recent reforms have improved the way that the military responds to victims of sexual assault, many of those who were assaulted were forced out of the military in…
Military Sexual Trauma (or MST) affects both men and women, and includes any sexual activity a person is involved in against his or her will. MST encompasses sexual activity where coercion is used (the threat of negative consequences, or a promise of faster promotions or better treatment), or where someone…
A New York Times article published May 1, 2014, indicated a 50 percent increase last year in reports of rapes and sexual assault, according to a study performed by the Pentagon. In 2012, a confidential Pentagon survey estimated that 26,000 men and women were victims of sexual assault. Of those,…
It took 23 years for one woman to receive veterans’ disability compensation. The woman was raped by a supervisor while serving in the Navy. In the years following the sexual assault, she suffered night terrors, insomnia and panic attacks. She was filing a claim for PTSD based on military sexual…
Senior officials in the military have been in the crosshairs of Congress. Over the last few weeks, hearings have been held in the House of Representatives over the military’s responses to sexual assault allegations. The hearings are ostensibly based on promises made by congressmen who saw “The Invisible War” an Oscar nominated…
This is an edited version of an article that appeared in the New York Times November 17, 2013: For veterans, the trauma of rape, sexual harassment, or sexual assault in the military can be as devastating as combat wounds. But these injuries, while real, are often invisible, and the circumstances…
