Below you will find a copy of a statement for the congressional hearing that is being held today on sexual assault and rape in the military. Good Morinning America called me yesterday about doing an interview with them for the show. However, they dumped on me just like the military did.

Anyway, here is the written statement I submitted for the congressional hearing. It's only a small piece of what happened. Just because the perpetrator was sentenced it doesn't make it a success story because my mental and physical conditions is equally to blame not just on the offender but the military too.

Here is my written statement:

Deceitful and untrustworthy is how my colleagues and superiors described me for reporting a crime of sexual assault on 30 May 2002 and rape on 10 June 2002. I was only 10 days into my first duty station in Germany when the offender sexually assaulted me. 10 days after that the same offender raped me. "it's your fault", my command stated. "He done it because you look like his wife," as they laughed. "Why didn't you want to have sex with him when he is sooooooo... cute", laughing again. "Keep your mouth shut, there is too much red tape," the sergeant stated over and over again.

That's only a few words that I was harrassed with during my time at my post. I never heard of so many horrific statements that could be made to one person or about one person. It took 7 days after the incidents that I was finally took to CID. After a number of attempts at reporting these crimes, a Sergeant finally took me serious and reported the crimes up the chain of command. I was immediately sent to fire my weapon. The next morning I had to take a physical fitness test when I wasn't even healed from the physical problems from the rape. After returning to the barracks, I found that the command moved the perpetrator into the same building in which I lived. When I asked about it, I was told he wasn't a dangerous man. Yet, three months prior to assaulting me he had an account of simple assult consumattd by battery and disorderly conduct. It took a Surgeon to get him removed from the building in which I resided.

Next, the rapist, was placed to work in the gym-a place that he could've repeated another crime of rape, sodomy, indecent exposure, and indecent assault very easily. He definitely did not need to be placed in an area where women's bodies were more exposed than usual while working out. It also caused me to lose my pivilege of working out because he worked in there. I had to face this offender on a daily basis for four months.

Harrassment was from privates all the way up to Colonel's. When I learned about IG and what their careers were about, I turned to them for help. Not long after calling the IG, I was took into the First Sergeant's office and threatned and forced to say that I would never call IG again.

All of my rights as a victim of sexual assault and rape were violated numerous times. Even after the trial and when I was finally moved back to the U.S., I was threatned with obstruction of justice and perjury if I didn't quit trying to find out the perpetrators status in prison and why his military lawyer was calling all the individuals that I was working with.

I barely had enough strength to fight off the horrific events the command had put me through. I had to keep repeating the fact that I wanted to pursue chages against him. He confessed and should have been put into pre-trial confinement, however, he plead not guilty. One of the most disturbing acts was the fact that the legal team lost the prelimanary hearing tape recorded testimony. I had to go through a second preliminary hearing in order to keep fighting to have him convicted. In the end, I came out strong during the trial. He was found guilty of rape, sodomy, indecent exposure, and indecent assault. My military lawyer ask that he be sentenced to 15 years. He did receive 15 years, forfeiture of all pay, loss of rank, and a bad-conduct discharge. With a bad-conduct discharge he has the opportunity to get his discharge upgraded. He should have definitely received a dishonorable discharge.

Still, four years after the incidents (the sexual assault, rape, and revictimazation by the ARMY), I have to be in psychotherapy twice weekly. I also still have to see a pshychiatrist once a month. I remain to have severe PTSD, major depressive episode, and self-mutilation. Why, you might ask-I see his face and hear his voice. However, I also see the faces and hear the voices of all of those who harrassed me. This is only a small portion of all the things I was put through because I reported a sexual assault and rape.

It is only and only in your hands to protect other victims of crimes from being treated in such a horrific way that I was. For those who do not follow the 7 Army Core Values and make sure they protect the victims, should get a stiff punishment. It is your power to employee victim advocates who are trained well enough to help the victim out instead of push them out of the way. You must create safe places that can be provided to victims. It is your duty to make all necessary changes to protect and treat victims with respect. You need to create and find a safe place that a victim can receive therapy when needed. While going through therapy, it is important that it be made private to protect the victims' privacy. It shouldn't be known to the whole post that a victim is getting therapy, just like the way that I was put out there for everyone to know I was raped and going to therapy.

It's not isolated incidents. Similar things are happening to the men and women who serve our country. They expect to be treated unfairly by an enemy, but not by someone wearing a U.S. military uniform, not their colleagues, nor their superiors. It will be a tremendous challenge for you to make necessary changes to protect our own men and women from our own military.

Those who are wounded in war have to live with those wounds for the rest of their lives. We, too, have to live with the wounds from being raped. The incident never fades and all the revictimazation from our military doesn't fade away either. The only good memories I have of the military is basic training and advanced individudal training-the things that most service members hate. There are no words for the horror I encountered for the rest of the period I had to stay in the military. Even when serving in the military, I had to seek support from those working outside of the military.

I had to be placed on Temporary Disabled Retired List because of the severity of the PTSD and depression. I currently receive a 100% rating from the Veteran Affairs because the PTSD, depression, and self-mutilation continue in my life. My life will forever be horrified by not only the perpetrator, but also the coleagues and superiors who I had to work with. It was nothing but pure revictamazation each day of my military career.

I ask that you please make necessary adjustments to protect our military women and men from being punished for reporting crimes. Victims of sexual assault and rape should feel comfortable enough that they can report the assaults without feeling they will be punished for keeping their loyalty, duty, respect, selfless serivce, honor, integrity, and personal courage. It is in your hands to protect our own from our own. Education can be a part of this plan, but other measures need to be taken to ensure that victims safety is priority. Anyone who violates a victims rights should be punished to the fullest. You must make this happen. Protect our own military personnel. You are the power to upholding victims' rights.

Susan N. Upchurch

803 Vance Street

Paragould, AR 72450

(870) 335-2109

Guess the little ladies should stay home where they have sufficiet lighting to do there daily routines.

It takes a real man to treat women like ladies. What real man needs to force themself on a woman? Is the military lacking in real men?

Why are woman in the combat theater? What do you expect men to do after being away from home and sexual contact for months. It's like women reports in pro sports men's locker rooms, why are they there? And if a man shows himself while showering the man is fined. Please, men and woman in the same location for a given length of time will start having sex, this is human nature. You can try to cover up the animal instinct any way you want but this animal instinct cannot be removed. Hoping this will end is a far fetched as hoping that the insurgents in the middle east will stop killing people. Are these items really that bad: "lack of privacy to perform daily routines; insufficient lighting in and around the tents; isolation; existence of a sexually charged atmosphere; presence of pornography; and availability of condoms for male troops."

The mindset of the people in power in our country has filtered down to everyone, it seems - and that mindset being one of lawlessness, brutality, torture, chauvinism, and dominance over those who are weaker. The mindset DOES come from the top. Changes are coming. Hopefully they won't be too late.

Susan - your story and so many more!! You are a courageous woman. There are many courageous people in this world - the Iraqi and Afghanistan victims, the American victims - all for the cause of a few people who want more power and money. Girl - your fight may be just beginning - to bring your story to the young men and women who think that the military brings us freedom, when in fact what brings us freedom is the love and respect we have for one another and the rights of each individual person on this planet. Don't give up - this will just make you stronger!

Does that hold true for your mother, Mr. Leikam? How about your sister? Your daughter? Neice? Aunt? Wife? Girlfriend? Should the same standard be applied to all women who are raped regardless of whether the assault occurs in a combat zone, on a military base, or in your neighborhood? Just how far does your line of "reasoning" extend, Mr. Leikam?

Susan,
Thank you for speaking out. We are
behind you here in Chicago.

To Hank....you make me sick!

For all those "women should stay at home" types, consider today's military -- stretched too thin, wearing out, becoming more and more psychologically damaged. The cures are either withdraw from all foreign conflicts (not likely) or reinstate the draft. When the draft is reinstated, be aware that the fight for equal rights will extend to the Selective Service where every man and woman between the ages of 18 and 35 (up to 42 in some cases) will be eligible for multiple years of compulsory service. That means your daughters, your sisters, perhaps even your mothers will be sent to duty with protected molesters and rapists. Sure, sneer at the women who are in the service now; taunt them saying that they got what they deserved. But in a couple years when your daughter cries "rape!" while in uniform, go look in the mirror at the guy who could have done something about it before it happened.

Scott and Hank: GROW UP... You can argue all you want about the advisability of having men and women in the theater of war together, but once they're there, EVERY person deserves respect. NO ONE deserves to be treated criminally by a fellow soldier. I'm sure the vast majority of our troops (bot men and women) would agree.

and now the military is "testing" viagra for MEN supposedly for high altitudes in Afganistan.
It is time to clean howse from Rumsfield down.
I am a proud veteran and proud not to be active duty with this embarassing administration.

Boy, Hank and Scott must be from the 1950's - Hey wake up you dolt this is the 21st century. RAPE is not haveing sex, you are both as ignorant as Susan's chain of command. They should all have been brought up on obstruction charges, if the Military did that a few times and they saw that there was loss of pay and rank you can bet that this would no longer be a problem. Change is needed on this issue, I don't blame the young lady from Oregon refusing to go to Iraq if she must put up with idiots that think they can just take what they want.

disgusted veteran

I am totally appalled by the treatment of this woman not only by the rapist, but by the commanding officers on up the chain of command -- that they are vulgar and crude is quite obvious. The remark by Hank shows he came from the same mold as the comanders she went to.
This is the stinking thinking that has been created by an administration that has no more right or sense to have gone to war and than to go to Moon.
The price of this war has been more costly than actual dollars spent, and the fact that it was an illegitimate war makes it even worse.
Ms. Upchurch has shown an extreme amount of Courage in pursuing her case. My prayers are with her.

It’s a pity to see the leadership of the US Army under-mind women because of their gender because this is what we have. It’s very obvious that the “good old boy” club exist even in the military.

To rid of women, men belittle and rape them, to make them feel superior, and strong, all in hopes it will intimate and ridicule them; to go back home to cook and clean.

A dangerous mind game the leadership team is role playing with their troops. They should be listening and setting the example, regardless what the issue is, this is why they are in those positions, they earned that ranked.

And when these individuals finish serving their time, they will continue on with this same attitude in a civilian life, and our country will endure more crime because this is what they learned from the US Army.

Is ethics completely lost within the government?

God Bless.

Overlooking the lack of proper sentence structure (education level?)in the telling of this story, I will admit that Susan sounds like a victim who suffered. However, I must object to the "expectation" level that was assumed regarding the comfort level ("lack of privacy to perform daily routines; insufficient lighting in and around the tents; isolation; existence of a sexually charged atmosphere; presence of pornography; and availability of condoms for male troops."). This is a war, not a campground. If you are not prepared to face the ugliness of war, Don't participate. I do not want to appear as though I don't care, just that people have a "movie-based" sense of reality. Anyone who has actually been in combat will tell you it is the worst experience of their life (if you can even get them to discuss the imagery). I feel for anyone who has been a victim of any crime, but 100% disability!? I know several veterans disabled physically and mentally who can't get 100%. I agree that the military has severe faults ( the main reason I didn't make it a career - I have morals), but move on. Just because life dealt you a pair of two's doesn't mean you can't win the pot.

x, apparently afraid to sign his name, said :"Why are woman in the combat theater? "

Because there aren't enough men to do all the jobs, x. How hard is that to grasp? They NEED every soldier, sailor and Marine, male and female. The Guard and Reserves are stretched thin, and active duty units are often on their 3rd tour of duty in 3 years. Women drive trucks in convoys, which is NOT considered a combat position, though it is one of the most dangerous jobs in Iraq, as well as work in many other positions, from female soldiers on patrol (in order to deal with female Iraqis) to nurses and doctors and corpsmen in MASH units. They fix planes. They FLY planes. 16% of Gulf War vets were female. There are 215,000 women serving in the U.S. military as of 2003, according to census figures. If you think women shouldn't be in the military, why not enlist and take the palace of one?

Scott also said: "What do you expect men to do after being away from home and sexual contact for months."

Umm, how about what my husband did when he deployed during the nearly 15 years he was active duty (we'll be married 18 years in August)? He kept his pants zipped and was faithful to the vows he'd made me.

This shows your ignorance about the facts of rape. Rape is seldom about sex--it's about POWER and control. The officers and NCOs women complain to are part of a system that sees protecting the band of brothers as more important than a woman's right to say no. The problems faced by women in the military who report rape are similar to the harassment they still get from some police officers, prosecutors, defense attorneys and judges if they aren't 7 year old virgins on their way to First Communion--and I was a rape crisis volunteer counselor who had to deal with these people (mostly male, by the way).

I spent 7 years overseas as a Navy wife, and about once a month there be another trial for rape or sexual harassment, and every time the defense consisted of "Who will you believe? This young woman barely out of boot or this fine upstanding NCO with X number of years of honorable service?" And even if there were 5 or 6 women testifying to the behavior, 9 times out of 10, he walked free.

x also claimed "Please, men and woman in the same location for a given length of time will start having sex, this is human nature. You can try to cover up the animal instinct any way you want but this animal instinct cannot be removed."

Get REAL. Many of these men are married. They promised fidelity. Are you saying any man who works around women can't be faithful? Guess the Iranians and Saudis are right then: women must wear burqas and chadors and abayahs and face veils and never come in contact with any man to whom they aren't related by blood or marriage. After all, in AMERICA, men work side by side with women in almost every office. This is such bs,and you know it. It's the same crap that began with Adam, blaming the woman.

Yes, some people WILL have consensual sex--affairs happen during deployments and every military couple recognizes the dangers. I have no problem with unmarried people having consensual sex, whether in a combat zone or not (though fraternization is a crime under the UCMJ). But we are talking about sexual assault, RAPE, not consensual sex. Rape, where the woman says no, and he doesn't stop? THAT kind of rape? It's a crime, whether committed by a civilian or a soldier--and it should be punished. But I suspect too many juries have male chauvinists like you on them, who assume "No" means "yes" unless she has a broken jaw, two black eyes and other injuries.

x opines: "Are these items really that bad: "lack of privacy to perform daily routines; insufficient lighting in and around the tents; isolation; existence of a sexually charged atmosphere; presence of pornography; and availability of condoms for male troops."

Porn doesn't bother me--I truly tend to doubt claims that porn causes rape, because there is NO research to back it up (in fact, according to Donnerstein studies, the ONLY sexual material linked to negative attitudes toward women are slasher films--in other words, linking sex to violence causes problems). Lack of lighting is ALWAYS a problem and invites crime--whether rape or mugging--back home, so why shouldn't it be a problem in a combat zone. So is lack of facilities for women troops to bathe and wash in. How hard is it to rope off the facilities for an hour or two a day for women only? I am unsure what is meant by isolation--but if it means that the women's tents are off by themselves in poorly lit areas where no one can hear them if they scream, that IS a real issue. My college had done something similar back int he 60s--all women's dorms were on one side of campus, next to a railroad track and open ground. We had to rely on campus police patrols for help. After some very nasty assaults and rapes within he dorms themselves, they decided to turn two of the dorms over to men, and move women into previously male dorms. Guess what? The number of attacks fell by 90%.

x is part of the problem women face in this country as well as in the military. He is why date rape is still such a huge problem---even though rape rates HAVE fallen over the last 20 years, we still ahve a number of Neanderthals like him who beleive that no means "kep trying" and that a drunk or unconsciosu woman is fair game, as is any woman who doesn't meet his high standards of proper chastity and ladylikeness.

This is sad to hear how anyone is treated in such a demeaning manner. We are all in Irag for the same purpose, supposedly for our country, not just because the lonely men there have nothing better to do. Women do not belong in the military nor the men's locker room for reporting sports. If they only saw themselves for the joke men are making of them for being there.

I believe that this report will backfire and give ammunition to those saying that this is one of the reasons why women don't belong in the combat zone.

It would seem everyone has forgotten they have a mind which is supposed to make them human ,It would seem we have forgotten to be human ,and so animals we are, So that it seems this is what the armed forces have become, Shame on the keepers of peace, apparantly they have lost ther way, And it falls upon the leadership, BOB

As a Soldier, I am disgusted by the chauvinistic remarks made by a couple of the men who have commented here.

"Why are woman in the combat theater?” Women are in combat because they are Soldiers...PERIOD. I do not see such harsh criticism over female Federal agents, Police/Corrections Officers, EMTs/Paramedics or Nurses; who are in more danger on a daily basis than I am as a Soldier.

Need examples? A Texas State Trooper was beaten beyond recognition by an assailant...I didn't see any men posting outlandish criticisms of her, or hearing that Congress was rushing to bar females from being law enforcement officers. A Corrections Officer was sexually assaulted during a hostage stand-off at the State Prison in Phoenix, Arizona. Again, no derogatory comments from men, and the House Rules Committee didn’t try to stop women from becoming Corrections Officers. You have female Federal agents in a myriad of agencies that face life and death situations daily, would you take away their ability to participate in their jobs also?

Like the women in the aforementioned professions, I volunteered of my own free will, with the understanding that I might find myself in harm’s way. Asymmetric warfare is a reality, but it shouldn’t be a reason for relegating all females to non-combat roles where they will have little opportunity for advancement. Likewise, sexual assault shouldn’t be a reason to keep women out of combat either.

If these two Neanderthals had their way my service to my country would suddenly become less worthy than that of my male counterparts. The military has always led the way in social justice and I do not believe that a male Soldier should sacrifice his life in my place to defend this nation. I have no doubt that his family would miss him just as much as mine would if I were to give my life in the service of this Great Nation.

“What do you expect men to do after being away from home and sexual contact for months." I have served for over 13 years, working with hundreds of men who have been respectful of my service and conducted themselves as professionals. Of the harassment cases I had detailed knowledge of, most had a severe lack of command concern in punishing those involved. I had an acting 1SG in a fellow company who had sex with several of his Soldier’s wives while their husbands were away. The command swept the issue under the rug, while punishing a SSG for adultery after he had had consensual sex 10 months into a mandatory state required separation from his wife before he could file for divorce. In another instance a 1SG was found not-guilty of sexual harassment, even after 32 females stated he had sexually intimidated them. This 1SG also threatened his own Soldiers to “stay away” from these women because they were “his property.” The problem of sexual assault is NOT the females’ fault, rather a serious failure of leadership to impose fair and equitable punishment on those who do not conduct themselves as true professionals.

I believe the comments of Mr. Leikam, "Scott," and those of like-mind, do not represent the sentiments of the People. These comments are misogynistic at best and degrade the sacrifices of our hard-working female Soldiers.
How sad that I serve to protect the right to free speech of such idiotic statements.

V/R,
SSG Manning