Military leadership prioritizes defending accused men over preventing sexual assault of women

Evidence

Much of the military’s male leadership appears to have been unable to grasp the nature of the sexual assault problem, to take steps to protect female troops, and to enforce its own laws. In 2012, after numerous female Air Force cadets were sexually assaulted by their instructors, the Air Force considered allowing only women to train women—instead of making male trainers comply with rules, regulations, and laws on sex. In a similarly revealing moment, the Wisconsin Army National Guard introduced an “Ask her when she’s sober” campaign; a spokesperson said that this approach will “avoid legal trouble (for the initiator).” As Patricia Hynes points out, the implicit message is that the men don’t have to be sober to discuss sex, and that “the military’s top concern is how to prepare a male soldier to defend himself in a rape charge, not how to prevent rape and protect women soldiers.” — David Vine, Base Nation_ How U.S. Military Bases…, 577

Categorization

• ADDENDUM: Could support an ‘On Sacrifice’ follow-up about institutional prioritization of perpetrators’ interests over victims’ — though the alignment is thematic rather than direct.