Navy veteran speaks of his sexual assault, its aftermath

FORT SILL, Okla. (April 21, 2016) -- With April being Sexual Assault Awareness Prevention Month we tend to focus on recent accounts of assaults with the memories and trauma still fresh in the minds of the victims. April 6, a Reynolds Army Community Hospital (RACH) ceremony and cake cutting recognized the month and attempts to make a difference. With it, a guest speaker recounted his experience of sexual assault over 30 years ago.

Showing courage in front of a large crowd assembled in the command lobby at RACH, "Mr. Smith" recounted his experience as a seaman in the Navy stationed on Treasure Island in the San Francisco area in 1982.

"I went out for a night on the town with several other Sailors," Smith said. "We hit up the usual watering holes and bars in the area that were popular with the Navy. As the night wore on I began to drink more and more and became too drunk to get home without help."

That help came from a fellow Sailor who made sure Smith got home safely.

"Once we got back to my room he assaulted me. I was too drunk to fight back or prevent it from happening," said Smith.

As a male survivor of sexual assault, Smith was at a loss about how to process or report the incident. When he tried to tell his direct supervisor about what happened, he was dismissed and told [that sort of thing does not happen to males]. As a result of his trauma Smith was forced to leave the Navy. It was not until 1997, through the Department of Veterans Affairs, that he was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder due to military sexual trauma.

"It is hard for me to get up in front of a crowd and talk about what happened to me," said Smith. "But I want everyone to know that sexual assault can happen to males, and that there are people out there that can help. The Lawton Vet Center on 11th Street and C Avenue has been a huge help to me over the years, and I recommend any veterans with any kind of trauma or abuse to go there for help."

Sandra Combs, the sexual response assault coordinator, for RACH confirmed the stereotype about male sexual assault.

"Within our society there is a misconception that men cannot be sexually assaulted. Being a sexual assault response coordinator, I've heard on numerous occasions, 'Men can't be raped,' or 'Sexual assault is a women's problem.' Contrary to popular beliefs, men can be sexually assaulted, and it's not just a women's problem," Combs said.

According to a 1998 survey from the National Institute of Justice and Centers Disease Control, about 3 percent of American men, or one in 33, have experienced an attempt or completed rape in their lifetime. From 1995 to 2010, 9 percent of rape and sexual assault victims were male.

"The DoD [Department of Defense] reported in 2012 that 12 percent of sexual assaults in the military were male victims, and of the men at the DoD service academies, such as West Point or the Air Force Academy, who indicated experiencing unwanted sexual contact, 73 percent reported more than one incident of unwanted sexual contact," said Combs.

"Sexual assault tears apart the core values the Army was founded on. It destroys mission readiness and affects not just the victims but the secondary victims who are family members, friends and co-workers," continued Combs.

The DoD theme for the month is "Eliminate Sexual Assault. Know Your Part, Do Your Part." In line with that the Army's theme is "Sexual Assault. Sexual Harassment. Not in our Army."

"Together we can work to end sexual assault in the military if we all do our part to report sexual harassment or assault," said Combs. "I want to thank Mr. Smith for sharing his story with Reynolds and again letting everyone on Fort Sill know that there are numerous avenues available for help or support for victims, family members and friends."

If you or anyone you know is struggling with being a victim of sexual assault, call the DoD Safehelp Line at 877-995-5247; the Fort Sill SHARP hotline at 580-917-4277; the Rape, Abuse and Incest national Network at 800-656-4673; or in the Lawton-Fort Sill area call the New Directions hotline 580-357-2500.