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SALT LAKE CITY — A movie that opens nationwide this month exposes what the filmmaker calls "an epidemic of sexual assault" in the military.
"The Invisible War" was a Sundance Film Festival award winner. Thursday night, dozens of people watched a screening at the University of Utah.
As a community, events like this are just starting to make us aware of this issue. Fortunately, the victims are discovering they are not alone.
"I wanted to go to war. I wanted to fight for our country," Olena Lind told KSL News Thursday night.
You keep your mouth shut. ...Inside, it's torture. Outside, you stay alive.
–Olena Lind, military rape victim
Lind proudly served in the Air Force, and said she would do it again. But she harbored a horrible secret for more than 20 years.
In the first two months of her service, Lind was raped several times. She was convinced by her female superior to keep quite.
"You keep your mouth shut," she said. "Inside, it's torture. Outside, you stay alive."
Her story is similar to those shared in the documentary "The Invisible War." Military sexual trauma (MST) is about as prevalent in the military, as on college campuses, the film says.
"I think this is kind of the tip of the iceberg," said Breeze Hannaford, MST coordinator at the Utah Department of Veterans Affairs.
Some of the difficulties both female and male survivors of MST may have include:
- Strong emotions. Feeling depressed; having intense, sudden emotional responses to things; feeling angry or irritable all the time.
- Feelings of numbness. Feeling emotionally "flat"; trouble feeling love or happiness.
- Trouble sleeping. Trouble falling or staying asleep; bad dreams or nightmares.
- Trouble with attention, concentration, and memory. Trouble staying focused; often finding your mind wandering; having a hard time remembering things.
- Problems with alcohol or other drugs. Drinking to excess or using drugs daily; getting drunk or "high" to cope with memories or unpleasant feelings; drinking to fall asleep.
- Trouble with reminders of the sexual trauma. Feeling on edge or "jumpy" all the time; not feeling safe; going out of your way to avoid reminders of the trauma; trouble trusting others.
- Problems in relationships. Feeling alone or not connected to others; abusive relationships; trouble with employers or authority figures.
- Physical health problems. Sexual issues; chronic pain; weight or eating problems; stomach or bowel problems.
Statistics from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs show one in four women, and one in 100 men, report experiencing MST at some point in their military career.
"We estimate that those rates are actually much higher, that it's probably more like 70 (percent) or 80 percent among women and something more like 30 (percent) to 40 percent among men," Hannaford said.
KSL News also spoke to Julie, a Navy veteran who was sexually assaulted multiple times. When she reported it, she says she was told to give the attacker another chance.
"Same thing happened again," she said. "I think there needs to be accountability — and especially for the superior officers who don't pursue further avenues when somebody reports rape."
Also on display Thursday night: The Clothesline Project. A show of empowerment in which survivors "break the silence" and share their stories by decorating a shirt to reflect the impact sexual violence has had on their lives.
Lind didn't break her silence until she told her family last year. "That was the hardest thing, telling them," she said.
But it was also the path to healing through counseling. Lind said she's learned "there's a light at the end of the tunnel."
"This is a power and control issue," Hannaford said. "The more that we're able to set people up to not feel so oppressed, the less this sort of thing is going to happen."
The victims who talked to KSL News said speaking out is the most important part of recovery. Women and men who have experienced MST can get help through the Department of Veterans Affairs. Just call 801-582-1565, ext. 2764.
