Image by abundantlifeacademy via Flickr

Abuse Found in Military Schools

"When women are devalued, the likelihood of harassing and even abusive behavior increases," said the panel of 12 military officers and civilian experts. It proposed wide-ranging action, from better admissions screening to revamping antiquated military rape laws.

Congress ordered the review of the Army and Navy academies after a 2003 investigation at the Air Force academy found sexual assault "a part of life" for cadets. That investigation arose after almost 150 women came forward to say they had been assaulted by fellow cadets between 1993 and 2003.

Thursday's report praised Army and Navy leaders for taking the issue seriously but said the services need to do more.

Representatives at the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, N.Y., and the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md., said their services would use the report to help improve conditions.

"Our goal is to eliminate this illegal behavior," said Lt. Col. Kent Cassella, a West Point spokesman.

The report cited 2004 Pentagon data showing 50% of women at all three academies were harassed, mostly verbally but dozens suffering physical abuse. Tolerance of "hostile attitudes and inappropriate actions toward women" continues "to hinder the establishment of a safe and professional environment," it said.

"I'm not surprised at all, I regret to say," said retired Air Force brigadier general Wilma Vaught, president of the Women in Military Service for America Memorial Foundation. "I don't know what we have to do to end" the harassment of women by some male colleagues.

Among more than four dozen recommendations:

• Toughen consequences for men who harass or tolerate harassment, or who abuse alcohol, a major factor. The system of peer loyalty, which discourages reporting, must be changed, it said.

• Increase the number of women on faculties and in student bodies. About 15% of cadets and midshipmen are female.

• Require incoming freshmen to release high school records that would show behavior problems.

• Urge Congress to pass criminal rape laws for the military similar to those of many states. Current military laws "do not reflect the full range of contemporary sexual misconduct," including cases that don't involve physical force.

• Give commanders more authority to close the doors of criminal hearings, to protect the accuser from public exposure and thus encourage reporting.

• Add history of women in uniform to the curricula, including why women are excluded from combat.

That exclusion should end, said Vaught, adding that "we all take the same oath. We get the same pay. We should leave commanders free to use their troops the way they have to in times of combat."

Serving the following States in the U.S. and international locations:

Alabama (AL), Arkansas (AR), Alaska (AK), Arizona (AZ), California CA), Colorado (CO), Delaware (DE), District of Columbia (DC), Florida (FL), Georgia (GA), Hawaii (HI), Idaho (ID), Illinois (IL), Indiana (IN), Iowa (IA), Kansas (KS), Kentucky (KY), Louisiana (LA), Maine (ME), Maryland (MD), Massachusetts (MA), Michigan (MI), Minnesota (MN), Mississippi (MS), Missouri (MO), Montana (MT), Nebraska (NE), Nevada (NA), New Hampshire (NH), New Jersey (NJ), New Mexico, (NM) New York (NY), North Carolina (NC), Ohio (OH), Oklahoma (OK), Oregon (OR), Pennsylvania (PA), Rhode Island (RI), South Carolina (SC), South Dakota (SD), Tennessee (TN), Texas (TX), Utah (UT), Vermont (VT), Virginia (VA), Washington (WA), West Virginia (WV), Wisconsin (WI), Wyoming (WY), Canada, Mexico, Cayman Islands.

List of major cities in the USA.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
Birmingham, AL Joliet, IL Las Vegas, NV Pawtucket, RI
Montgomery, AL Naperville, IL Henderson, NV Columbia, SC
Mobile, AL Indianapolis, IN North Las Vegas, NV Charleston, SC
Huntsville, AL Fort Wayne, IN Reno, NV North Charleston, SC
Anchorage, AK Evansville, IN Sunrise Manor, NV Sioux Falls, SD
Juneau, AK South Bend, IN Paradise, NV Rapid City, SD
Phoenix, AZ Des Moines, IA Spring Valley, NV Memphis, TN
Tucson, AZ Cedar Rapids, IA Enterprise, NV Nashville, TN
Mesa, AZ Davenport, IA Manchester, NH Knoxville, TN
Glendale, AZ Wichita, KS Nashua, NH Chattanooga, TN
Chandler, AZ Overland Park, KS Concord, NH Clarksville, TN
Scottsdale, AZ Kansas City, KS Newark, NJ Murfreesboro, TN
Gilbert, AZ Topeka, KS Jersey City, NJ Houston, TX
Little Rock, AR Olathe, KS Paterson, NJ San Antonio, TX
Fort Smith, AR Louisville, KY Elizabeth, NJ Dallas, TX
Fayetteville, AR Lexington, KY Edison, NJ Austin, TX
Los Angeles, CA New Orleans, LA Albuquerque, NM Fort Worth, TX
San Diego, CA Baton Rouge, LA Las Cruces, NM El Paso, TX
San Jose, CA Shreveport, LA Rio Rancho, NM Arlington, TX
San Francisco, CA Metairie, LA New York, NY Corpus Christi, TX
Fresno, CA Lafayette, LA Buffalo, NY Plano, TX
Sacramento, CA Portland, ME Rochester, NY Laredo, TX
Long Beach, CA Lewiston, ME Yonkers, NY Lubbock, TX
Oakland, CA Bangor, ME Syracuse, NY Garland, TX
Santa Ana, CA Baltimore, MD Charlotte, NC Irving, TX
Anaheim, CA Columbia, MD Raleigh, NC Salt Lake City, UT
Bakersfield, CA Silver Spring, MD Greensboro, NC West Valley City, UT
Denver, CO Boston, MA Durham, NC Provo, UT
Colorado Springs, CO Worcester, MA Winston-Salem, NC West Jordan, UT
Aurora, CO Springfield, MA Fayetteville, NC Sandy, UT
Bridgeport, CT Cambridge, MA Cary, NC Orem, UT
Hartford, CT Lowell, MA High Point, NC Burlington, VT
New Haven, CT Detroit, MI Wilmington, NC Virginia Beach, VA
Wilmington, DE Grand Rapids, MI Fargo, ND Norfolk, VA
Dover, DE Warren, MI Bismarck, ND Chesapeake, VA
Newark, DE Sterling Heights, MI Grand Forks, ND Arlington, VA
Jacksonville, FL Ann Arbor, MI Columbus, OH Richmond, VA
Miami, FL Lansing, MI Cleveland, OH Newport News, VA
Tampa, FL Flint, MI Cincinatti, OH Hampton, VA
St. Petersburg, FL Minneapolis, MN Toledo, OH Alexandria, VA
Orlando, FL St. Paul, MN Akron, OH Portsmouth, VA
Hialeah, FL Rochester, MN Dayton, OH Seattle, WA
Atlanta, GA Jackson, MS Oklahoma City, OK Spokane, WA
Augusta, GA Gulfport, MS Tulsa, OK Tacoma, WA
Columbus, GA Hattiesburg, MS Norman, OK Vancouver, WA
Savannah, GA Kansas City, MO Portland, OR Bellevue, WA
Athens, GA St. Louis, MO Salem, OR Charleston, WV
Honolulu, HI Springfield, MO Eugene, OR Huntington, WV
Hilo, HI Independence, MO Gresham, OR Milwaukee, WI
Kailua, HI Columbia, MO Philadelphia, PA Madison, WI
Boise City, ID Lee's Summit, MO Pittsburgh, PA Green Bay, WI
Nampa, ID Billings, MT Allentown, PA Cheyenne, WY
Meridian, ID Missoula, MT Erie, PA Casper, WY
Chicago, IL Great Falls, MT Providence, RI  
Aurora, IL Omaha, NE Warwick, RI  
Rockford, IL Lincoln, NE Cranston, RI  

Los Angeles, San Diego, San Jose, San Francisco, Long Beach, Fresno, Sacramento, Oakland, Santa Ana, Anaheim, Riverside, Bakersfield, Stockton, Fremont, Glendale, Huntington Beach, Modesto, San Bernardino, Chula Vista, Oxnard, Garden Grove, Oceanside, Ontario, Santa Clarita, Salinas, Pomona, Santa Rosa, Irvine, Moreno Valley, Hayward, Torrance, Pasadena, Escondido, Sunnyvale, Fontana, Orange, Rancho Cucamonga, Fullerton, Corona, Lancaster, Thousand Oaks, Vallejo, Palmdale, El Monte, Inglewood, Simi Valley, Costa Mesa, Downey, Poway, Chula Vista, La Mesa, Carlsbad, Santee, Escondido, San Marcos, Encinitas, Romona, Coronado, Rancho Santa Fe, Del Mar, Antioch, Thousand Oaks, Santa Barbara, Salinas, Santa Clarita, Vallejo, Santa Cruz, Seaside, Monterey, Marina, Santa Maria, Visalia, Hemet, Fairfield, Simi Valley, Merced, Redding Madera, Arcata, Arroyo Grande, Grover Beach, Dixon, El Centro, Eureka, Fillmore, Fortuna, Gilroy, Morgan Hill, Grass Valley, Greenfield, Half Moon Bay, Handford, Hollister, King City, Lake Los Angeles, Lakeport, Lincoln, Lindsay, Livermore, Livingston, Lodi, Los Banos, Arvin, Atascadero, El Paso de Robles, Avenal, Barstow, Big Bear Lake, Bishop, Blythe, Calexico, Camarillo, Cameron Park, Chico, Clearlake, Coalinga, Corcoran, Crescent City, Crestline, Davis, Delano Desert Hot Springs, Manteca, Santa Paula, McFarland, Selma, Mono Vista, Shafer, Morro Bay, Soledad, Napa, Solvang-Buellton, Oakdale, Sonoma, Orosi, Sonora, Oroville, South Lake Tahoe, Paradise, Taft, Parlier, Tehachapi, Patterson, Tracy, Petaluma, Tracy, Placerville, Turlock, Porterville, Twentynine Palms, Red Bluff, Reedley-Dinuba, Ridgecrest, Ukiah, Rosamond, Val Verde, San Luis Obispo, Ventura

Antelope Valley · Big Sur · Cascade Range · Central Coast · Central Valley · Channel Islands · Coachella Valley · Conejo Valley · Cucamonga Valley · Death Valley · East Bay (SF) · Eastern California ·Emerald Triangle · Gold Country · Great Basin · Greater Los Angeles · Inland Empire · Lake Tahoe · Los Angeles Basin· Lost Coast · Mojave · North Bay (SF) · North Coast · Northern California ·Owens Valley · Oxnard Plain · San Francisco Peninsula · Pomona Valley · Sacramento Valley · San Bernardino Valley · San Fernando Valley ·San Francisco Bay Area · San Gabriel Valley ·San Joaquin Valley · Santa Clara Valley · Santa Clara River Valley · Santa Clarita Valley · Shasta Cascade · Sierra Nevada · Silicon Valley · South Bay (LA) · South Bay (SF) · South Bay (SD) ·San Diego–Imperial · Southern California · South Coast · Tri-Valley · Upstate California· Victor Valley · Wine Country · Yosemite,Stanislaus ·Sutter · Tehama · Trinity · Tulare · Tuolumne ·Ventura · Yolo · Yuba