Military Sexual Trauma Paper

Imagine joining the military at a young age, preparing to see the world, make new friends, and form a bond that often rivals that of close siblings. Only to endure the unthinkable the unimaginable an attack not by a foreign enemy but at the hands of a fellow soldier or superior officer. This is the tragic truth for many soldiers, both men and women alike, it is not uncommon and it is an invisible wound that lasts long after the soldier returns to civilian life. This paper will reflect the importance of change within the Veterans Administration regarding Military Sexual Trauma. Ruth Moore, joined the military at the tender age of eighteen from a poor background expecting the military to help her pay for college. Moore was raped by her

When the assault was reported she was assaulted again out of retaliation. The end result was a discharge noting mental disabilities. Moore suffered from sexually transmitted diseases from the attacker, long bouts of depression, anxiety, posttraumatic stress disorder, and eventually became homeless before speaking out against the military and the officer who committed the attack. After a long battle of twenty-three years Moore finally received compensation for the suffering she endured giving her the power she needed to move on as a survivor (Ruth Moore, 2015). What Moore went through is now known as Military Sexual Trauma (MST). A disparaging note that it has become so rampant within the military ranks that it is even deserving of a name. The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) has implemented the words military sexual trauma (MST) to refer to severe or threatening methods of sexual harassment and sexual assault sustained in military