Ad Rape - Engaged In Combat With The Enemy

[carlie]

I've been asking myself for a few years now,

why is it that VA does not consider victims of

active duty rape, the same as a combat veteran -

when you take into consideration the definition of

"engaged in combat with the enemy" ?

When you are raped on AD, I no longer consider it as

raped by a fellow service member, I see it as rape is an

encounter with a military foe, a hostile unit, an enemy force.

http://www.va.gov/vetapp08/files5/0840201.txt

VA's General Counsel has held that the ordinary meaning of

the phrase "engaged in combat with the enemy," as used in 38

U.S.C.A. § 1154(b), requires that a veteran "have

participated in events constituting an actual fight or

encounter with a military foe or hostile unit or

instrumentality."

What do other's feel on this issue ?

carlie

[broncovet]

Carlie..

I'm with you. As far as I am concerned the rapist is a criminal..not a member of our armed forces.

This is not "friendly fire"..this criminal is an enemy of the United States even if he has "infiltrated" our military and became a member of our armed forces.

We captured and killed Sadaam Hussein and his son's in no small part because he thought he had the right to "take" any woman that he saw. HE was a Weapon of Mass Destruction. The sons would look through binoculars at women..when they saw one to their liking..they sent for them, then raped them. If the girls father protested, the girls father would be killed also.

In America, we think that violence towards women is wrong. Its just as wrong when it occurs here in the United States, and we do prosecute these criminals. Why should a military woman not have the same rights as a civilian woman?

[MikeR]

An Enemy is an enemy is an enemy.

[purple]

You know that I agree 100%. I only wish I knew what it will take to wake up the VA. Here's a poem I wrote a few years ago that talks about it:

When they ask

Where did you fight

I answer simply

Anywhere in sight

They look puzzled

And want to know more

What kind of soldier

Fights this kind of war

You are looking at her

She is right in front of you

Ashamed, scared and lonely

And tired of being abused

The enemy she fought

Wasn't from a foreign land

Her enemy was just like her

Our uniforms went hand in hand

We both wore the blue

We both wore it proud

Now he continues on

Now I'm left in a shroud

-JKJ-

[vetinpa]

The poem is awesome, I have often wonder if the SOB is still on active duty or not. After it happened to me I left the service and my husband, came home, cut off my hair, got my tubes cut, burnt and tied, wanted to destroy any part of me that would attract a male.

I drank myself to sleep, not suicidal, but not caring if I woke up in the morning. I still deal with it today.

The VA is fighting me on it of course. I guess it is normal to throw away 8 years of active duty, a marriage and do all the above mentioned things, they have so far not considered looking at what prompted me to do all this?? I have been diagnosed with PTSD on the civilian side of life and mst on the va side. Filed a claim, still fighting!!

I wanted to retire at a young age with 20 years, he took that desire a way from me and replaced it with horrible memories. I am ashamed, I am remarried and can not tell my husband about it. I have a dark secret that will haunt me for the rest of my life.

[LarryJ]

Ya know, for years, in this country, rape was a capital offense.

I don't know what happened that caused that to be changed?

I guess some schmuck would say the "Women's Lib" movement or some such BS!

I think that we should have an old oak tree and a good stout rope, for rape destroys a human as surely as a bullet.

I know that, if I were so inclined as to think about committing rape, the knowledge of that old oak tree and that rope would cause the same reaction as a dunk in the Artic.

My little 5 year old daughter was raped by our next door neighbor's teenage son.

He won't be doing that again, and that's all I have to say about that.

[MikeR]

I have a 5 year old daughter. I watch all the time where she goes, so I am always aware. If anyone hurt her they would discover just how creative I could be.