Many women serving in Iraq and Afghanistan are hit with a double whammy of combat trauma and sexual trauma, which could lead PTSD, post traumatic stress disorder, a potentially debilitating anxiety disorder caused by exposure to abnormal amounts of stress. In recent years the military has taken steps to be more sensitive to the presence of women in the military, with annual sensitivity training and procedures in place so that if a woman is victimized she can report that confidentially. And a spokesman told me Fort Campbell has one of the army’s most aggressive programs for dealing with sexual assault and sexual harassment. The VA’s making a concerted effort to address military sexual trauma, but struggling with a backlog of benefits claims and the nearest  PTSD treatment program is in Kansas City and some say the military’s new sensitivity to sexual trauma issues don’t always trickle down to day-to-day life on-base. Specialist Saines tried reporting the sexual harassment confidentially, but says it didn’t take long before word got back to the men in her unit. read more

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