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March 7, 2019

Sen. Martha McSally Says She Was Raped by Superior in U.S. Air Force
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Back on Capitol Hill, Arizona Republican Senator Martha Mc Sally
revealed Wednesday that she was raped by a superior officer when she
served in the U.S. Air Force. Senator Mc Sally-a former Air Force
colonel who was the first female fighter pilot to fly in combat-made the
disclosure during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on rampant
sexual assault in the U.S. military.

Sen. Martha Mc Sally: "The perpetrators abuse their position of power in
profound ways. And in one case, I was preyed upon and then raped by a
superior officer. I stayed silent for many years, but later in my
career, as the military grappled with scandals and their wholly
inadequate responses, I felt the need to let some people know I, too,
was a survivor. I was horrified at how my attempt to share generally my
experiences were handled. I almost separated from the Air Force at 18
years over my despair. Like many victims, I felt the system was raping
me all over again."

Pentagon figures show that in 2017-the most recent year for which data
are available-there were nearly 6,800 reports of sexual assault
involving members of the military, though sexual assaults are still
dramatically underreported in military ranks. A 2011 survey estimated
26,000 people were sexually assaulted in the military that year alone,
with women soldiers far more likely to be raped by fellow soldiers than
killed in combat.


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