Hello all,

I wanted to share with you the following statement I issued on our FB and twitter pages this morning reacting to Gen. Amos' internal memo that was reported on widely today:
(http://www.wltx.com/news/national/article/186906/142/In-Memo-Top-Marine-Blasts-Sex-Assault-Crisis)

https://www.facebook.com/MaleSurvivor:

"We salute and support General Amos for taking such a clear and powerful stance on the issue of abuse in the military.

The number of male victims of abuse in all branches of our armed services is far under-reported. We stand ready to give any support and assistance we can to all who wish to address this cancerous epidemic. In order to have the best fighting force in the world, they must also be the healthiest. Without addressing the issue of abuse, and providing more support to those who have been harmed, we will be fighting enemies both without and within."

I hope that some changes would be made in stance toward sexual abuse in military following that memo.
Thanks Chris for this!

Please post this on the military section as well.

Thank you from the information

Chris

Sorry I feel stupid it is here already, thank you again for this. Even though I'm not from the USA, I feel it is a positive step in the right direction.

As a stakeholder on this topic, I say talk is cheap. Gen. Amos's White Paper is too little, too late.

It is wrong to commend Gen. Amos for talking instead of mandating action. Why aren't we pressuring him to simply abide by Article 120, UCMJ. The penalties are pretty severe if they ever make it to court martial without a pretrial agreement.

I am disappointed. I would have hoped we would have applied more pressure.

Brian

It is about time that the Military look inward. I do not think that any thing will change . This has been a problem in the military for years. The problem starts at the top.

Words are lead marks on paper with no real consequence off the paper unless someone turns them into actions. When we see actions taking place - then I will commend the words.

Not before.

The world is made up of good intentions and bad actions. Until the good intentions become good ACTIONS, and they put their money where their mouth is - words on a memo will change NOTHING.

It may not be enough, but it is continuing progress started long ago. I know that 25-30 years ago, these issues weren't even on the radar. In the marines the attitude was just starting to change. I got my stripes "pinned" on my arms and blood stripe on my legs so well I was sore for a few days. Some guys were black and blue for a week. But now theres no hazing like this. That's changed as well as female Marines. In four years I saw less than 20 WM's as they were called back then. Families were looked as though "if the Corps wanted you to have a family, it would've been issued in boot camp."

I think it's a good step forward. We have to see if there is follow through on this.

Where was this guy or someone like him when I needed him 22 years ago?

Gee, I am surprized by the negative responces.
I never been in the military & dont know what the White Paper is. But its national news non-the-less.
Perhaps its not enough. Yet I am pleased the military actually admitted some of the assualt are actually male on male.

"While it is (predominantly) a male-on-female crime," Amos writes, "our records indicate a number of male-on-male attacks as well. … These numbers represent only an initial glimpse of reality, as this crime is universally believed to be significantly under-reported."

seems like a good start from where I am standing...