A good friend of mine just sent me a link to a new drama - well, maybe an old drama that's been written and produced to look like it's new. It's a story of rape in the military.
For those of you with a trigger response, please don't watch.
This video is the first of a three part series being published on the YouTube channel WIGS, Where it gets interesting.
I won't lie to you. Watching it made me cringe and not just for the young sergeant and victim. Ironically, I felt for her seasoned commanding officer as well.
I'll ask others to watch this for a single reason. This video calls attention to a not well publicized fact that those working with victims of military sexual trauma tell us again and again - prosecution comes down to the commander. Watch the commander in this film; see the nuance of her position. Yes, her. It isn't just male commanders that face these decisions but the female ones as well. Maybe after watching this, you might just understand why making that decision is so damned hard and why more victims of sexual assault need strong commanders by their side.
In all the conversations happening among civilian circles about rape in the military, what is missing is an understanding of what it means to be in command. I'm not sure how we get there. Somehow, we need to bridge a gap in understanding. Maybe, with films like these, we can begin to do so. Let me know what you think. I'm eager to have that conversation with you.