Salon.com > Air Force

The Cleveland kidnapping could have been stopped

Thu, 09 May 2013 14:00:00 +0000

Whether we want to or not, we will soon learn many more horrifying things about what the three young women imprisoned and tortured in Cleveland went through. But here is something we already know: It might have been stopped earlier, but for a culture of denial. Charles Ramsey's now-famous intervention shows some success with decades of cultural messaging that violence can happen in the house next door and you should do something about it. But it took over a decade.

The Cleveland story fits every societal expectation of what sexual violence looks like: Young girls, abducted off the street, imprisoned by grim-faced perpetrators whose mug shots are straight out of a crime procedural. And even then, it was allowed to continue, hidden in plain sight.

Should rape victims “submit”?

Wed, 08 May 2013 21:35:00 +0000

Of all the surprising, jaw-dropping and infuriating things that have happened in recent weeks regarding the military and rape, this was hardly the worst of the lot. In fact, it might have even been common sense. It just happened to arrive in the midst of a whole lot of garbage. That's why the news this week that an "Air Force Brochure Tells Sexual Assault Victims to 'Submit'" seemed at once so shocking – and so goddamn typical.

The Air Force advice isn't quite so cut and dried as the Wired headline first appears. Instead, it comes within Shaw Airforce Base's literature on "Sexual Assault Prevention and Response" – specifically what to do in the event of an attack. "It may be advisable to submit rather than resist," it reads. "You have to make this decision based on circumstances. Be especially careful if the attacker has a weapon."

Government plays secrecy games in Manning trial

Tue, 07 May 2013 20:14:00 +0000

This week, another pretrial hearing is taking place at Fort Meade in the court-martial of Pfc. Bradley Manning, the soldier the United States military is prosecuting for disclosing information to WikiLeaks. It begins today and will take place over a period of at least two days. Except, for this hearing, the public will only be able to witness the first hour or so of proceedings and then the rest of the pretrial hearing will be a closed session without the press or public present.

It is the second closed session in recent months. A portion of the proceedings were closed on March 1 to deliberate over whether the defense should be allowed access to a Defense Department “operator” — ”John Doe” — who was part of the raid that killed Osama bin Laden and allegedly uncovered digital media with copies of documents Manning disclosed to WikiLeaks.

David Dishneau, who has been regularly covering the proceedings for the Associated Press, writes, “government secrecy” is reaching a “new level,” as “military judge, Col. Denise Lind, has ordered what prosecutors say is an unprecedented closed hearing Wednesday at Fort Meade to help her decide how much of Manning’s upcoming trial should be closed to protect national security.”

Air Force to research “bioeffects” of weapons

Tue, 02 Apr 2013 12:20:00 +0000

The U.S. Air Force will invest millions into researching weapons that employ radio waves and high-powered microwaves, which are thought to cause non-lethal "bioeffects" on the body. Testing will reportedly be carried out on human and animal subjects on the bodily responses to these non-lethal weapons, which cause changes at the molecular level. The weapons would be an extension of already existing military technology (also used by domestic police) for riot control -- such as the Long Range Acoustic Device (LRAD), a sound cannon designed to cause extreme pain to those in its path.

Wired's Robert Beckhusen reported Monday:

7 absurd ways the military wastes taxpayer dollars

Wed, 12 Dec 2012 16:10:00 +0000

The David Petraeus scandal has shined a light on the luxurious, subsidized lifestyle of the U.S. military's top generals. But so far, what the media has uncovered only scratches the surface of the abuses. Here are seven absurd ways the military wastes our money -- and none of them have anything to do with national defense.

1. A whole battalion of generals? The titles “general” or “admiral” sound like they belong to pretty exclusive posts, fit only for the best of the best. This flashy title makes it pretty easy to say, "so what if a few of our military geniuses get the royal treatment -- particularly if they are the sole commanders of the most powerful military in human history." The reality, however, is that there are nearly 1,000 generals and admirals in the U.S. armed forces, and each has an entourage that would make a Hollywood star jealous.

An end to Air Force pin-ups

Fri, 07 Dec 2012 22:42:00 +0000

This week the U.S. Air Force launched an initiative to rid its ranks of material seen to objectify women. Pictures and calendars featuring half-naked women will be stripped from Air Force work spaces and public areas in an attempt to combat the sexism and rape culture permeating the institution.

As of Thursday, commanders and supervisors in all active, reserve and Air National Guard units have 10 days to complete the sweep for pin-up images or similar materials. The sweep is part of broader efforts to combat what Defense Secretary Leon Panetta called a “silent epidemic” of sexual assault in the armed forces. According the military's own statistics, there are 19,000 victims each year of mostly unpunished rape and sexual assault throughout the military. Only 13.5 percent of incidents are reported; of those who have come forward about a sexual assault, 80 percent would, if given the chance, not do so again.

Air Force releases report on widespread sexual abuse

Thu, 15 Nov 2012 14:02:00 +0000

Earlier this week, I wrote that "some military scandals are far worse than others." While the Petraeus affair and investigations into Gen. John Allen continue to fuel a media frenzy, far more pernicious and widespread instances of sexual misconduct haunt the armed forces. On Wednesday, The Air Force released its report detailing a culture of sexual abuse at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas, where members of the Air Force go through basic training.

Eleven basic training instructors have been charged with offenses ranging from inappropriate touching of female recruits to rape. Two commanding officers have been removed, and Air Force Gen. Edward A. Rice Jr., commander of Air Education and Training Command, said at a press conference Wednesday that six more have received "disciplinary action." Forty-eight women -- some as young as 17 or 18 years old -- have come forward with stories of sexual misconduct.