Two Battles: Defending a country, Fending off rapists

My best friend will be leaving for boot camp in several weeks. This has been on my mind, urging that little voice in the back of my head to get louder, and it has me thinking of things I wish were untrue. 18 U.S veterans kill themselves each day. Female soldiers are more likely to develop PTSD from sexual assault than combat. One in three women report sexual assault or rape while serving- and how many of those veterans who kill themselves were also rape victims?
I mean, not that America has anything resembling a moral compass these days, but nonetheless, how have we become this collectively and blatantly inhumane? How are we sitting idly by, as those who have defended our country come home to homelessness? How can we not care that our female soldiers are being raped and harassed (and enduring another layer to their Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder)?
In honor of May 30th being Military Sexual Trauma Awareness Day, I figured I would write of this insanity, and try to inform more people of this issue. However, truly changing the response of our armed forces to incidents of sexual assault is going to require more than information. Because the facts are already readily available; Yet, there are still so many who don't care to stop it. The U.S. military wants to turn a blind eye to this injustice, which is why it allows convicted rapists to enlist. So much for the "zero tolerance" policy, right? And it gets better: According to the Department of Defense's own statistics, 74-85% of soldiers convicted of rape or sexual assault leave the military with honorable discharges (meaning the rape conviction does not appear on their record). In 2009, 3,230 restricted and unrestricted reports of sexual assault were filed, which is an 11 percent increase from 2008. The statistics speak for themselves. Our government's priorities are clear. Gays cannot serve openly in any branch, but rapists can. And if you are a soldier and are assaulted, you probably won't be helped or heard at all.
Fortunately, there are more support groups emerging and an increased awareness among military and civilian folks about the issue. I pray that eventually our sexist society will be altered permanently for the better, and somehow that sensitivity will transform military culture as well, but that remains an unfulfilled wish/pipe dream/fantasy for now. I hope everyone I know and love is always safe and free from harm, and I intend to fight forever to make that a reality. And to those close to me who wear a Coast Guard or Army or Navy uniform: please pay close attention to the behavior of your battle buddies. Assume nothing. Freedom isn't free, but why shouldn't it be? Why must anyone, especially a female soldier or veteran, pay the highest price, or sacrifice her mental health/physical safety/autonomy/sexuality- in order to fight for her country and express her patriotism as she chooses to?
When once interviewing a classmate at Rhode Island College, for the Library of Congress's Veterans History Project, I remember the look on this woman's face as she described her experiences with sexual assault by her superiors in the army. She seemed so afraid, as if speaking out loud about it was breaking an unspoken rule, and yet she wanted me to know her story. These women are so strong -so brave- and yet, their hearts and bodies are being trampled on, and their voices continuously silenced. This has to end, yesterday.