Sexual Assaults in U.S. Military Up by 24 Percent

The Pentagon reported that members of the military are waging acts of violence against their own soldiers and other military personnel. There were nearly 3,000 sexual assaults reported in 2006. However, the military "punished" twice as many offenders, so at least that's a start.

The Chicago Tribune reports:

Pentagon officials have said that sexual assaults often go unreported.

They have attributed the rise in the number of reports in part to the vigorous effort to encourage victims to report the crime.

Others said that reporting changes and training aren't likely the only reasons for the higher numbers.

"Those [conclusions] are a little too fast and too easy," said Anita Sanchez, spokeswoman for the Miles Foundation, a non-profit group that provides services to victims of violence associated with the military.

"There are more women serving and more women deployed, including Guard and Reserve members. Historically we have seen an increase in incidents of sexual assault during deployments."

So an ancient story is repeated: the stress, the violence, and brutality of war is inflicted on women's bodies, not just on the battlefield or against an opposing army.

To hear a first-hand account of one service woman, check out NPR's interview with Spc. Mickiela Montoya,who served in the National Guard in Iraq.