As is often the case with many problems, the Army is focusing on encouraging the reporting of sexual harassment and punishing the offenders (as it should). Not good enough, however! This problem is much more complicated and is endemic to the Army (military?) culture. A basic cultural change is imperative before this problem will go away.
Several years ago, a front page picture in the European version of the Stars and Stripes showed a major theater commander with his hands on the shoulders of a young, female PFC. The balance of the scene was filled with smiling senior NCOs.
As I remember the story, the young PFC was dining with the group of senior NCOs when the general walked by. She boldly made some comment about him sharing the mess tent with the troops. He approached her, put his hands on her shoulders and informed her that he had more time in mess tents than she had in the Army.
What's wrong with this picture? Why was a junior, female enlisted person sharing a table with senior, male NCOs? Why did she feel comfortable making a remark to or about the general? Why would the general "fatherly" put his hands on the young, female PFC? Why in the world would the Stars and Stripes newspaper publish such a picture at all, let alone on the front page? And finally, perhaps most important of all, why was there no public outcry - from anybody?
I can't answer these questions, but someone should. The press has been full in the past years of senior military and defense department officials taking sexual advantage of subordinates. In many cases, the relationships appear consensual, but for vastly different reasons. The fact is sexual harassment should be directly encoded into the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) and carry severe punishment options. "Conduct unbecoming" and "acts prejudicial" are just catch-all phrases to avoid calling this problem what it really is: predatory sexual behavior.
How can we solve a problem if we're unwilling to even give it a name. After each incident, someone will retire (probably with full pension and revered military rank), and our leaders will shout "zero tolerance..." until the next incident which will restart the same, well-worn cycle. They just don't get it!
