Question:

My sister recently got out of the Air Force and she is pretty messed up. She has not actually said it but she has hinted that she was sexually assaulted. Can you provide me with any information and can she get help from the VA?

Answer:

Both men and women have suffered military sexual trauma (MST) while serving on active duty in the various military branches. Many of these active duty soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines and veterans may be struggling with fear, anxiety, embarrassment or anger as a result of their experiences. Neither our country nor the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) can undo the past; however if somebody you know, suffers from the effects of MST while in the military the VA may be able to provide financial and healthcare assistance.

The VA has a number of different definitions for MST. One often used by VA states it is “psychological trauma, which in the judgment of a VA mental health professional, resulted from a physical assault of a sexual nature, battery of a sexual nature, or sexual harassment which occurred while the veteran was serving on active duty or active duty for training.” Sexual harassment is further defined as “repeated, unsolicited verbal or physical contact of a physical nature which is threatening in character.”

A more practical definition is MST refers to sexual assault or repeated, threatening sexual harassment that occurred while the veteran was on active duty. It includes any sexual activity where someone is involved against his or her will. He or she may have been pressured into sexual activities. For example a superior may threaten negative consequences if a subordinate does not sexually cooperate. Or the superior may imply that promotions will come quicker if the subordinate sexually complies. Additionally the service member may have been unable to consent to sexual activities due to intoxication or they may have been physically forced into sexual activities. MST also includes unwanted sexual touching, grabbing, threatening, offensive remarks about a person’s body or sexual activities; and/or threatening or unwelcome sexual advances.

According to VA data from their universal screening program provides us with a picture of how common MST is. Under the screening program all veterans seen at Veterans Health Administration (VHA) facilities are asked whether they went through sexual trauma during their military service.

About 1 in five women and 1 in 100 men responded “yes” when they were screened by VHA for MST. Although the rate of MST is higher for women there are almost as many men as women who have experienced MST while on active duty. This is simply because there are more male veterans than female veterans.

MST is more prevalent than most people realize. It is also important to remember that MST affects not only the individual exposed to the trauma but also frequently their family members as well.

Bear in mind that MST is an experience or an event. It is not a diagnosis or a health condition in and of itself. As previously mentioned MST can range from unwanted sexual advances and comments to forcible rape. As a result there is an extremely wide range of emotions and effects suffered by veterans who were exposed to MST. Some veterans may be able to recover from the event fairly quickly while others may have mental and physical health problems years later. According to VA some of the difficulties exhibited by MST survivors include:

Strong emotions: feeling depressed; having intense, sudden emotional reactions to things; feeling angry or irritable all the time

Feelings of numbness: feeling emotionally ‘flat’; difficulty experiencing emotions like love or happiness

Trouble sleeping: trouble falling or staying asleep; disturbing nightmares

Difficulties with attention, concentration, and memory: trouble staying focused; frequently finding their mind wandering; having a hard time remembering things

Problems with alcohol or drugs: drinking to excess or using drugs daily; getting intoxicated or “high” to cope with memories or emotional reactions; drinking to fall asleep

Difficulty with things that remind them of their experiences of sexual trauma: feeling on edge or ‘jumpy’ all the time; difficulty feeling safe; going out of their way to avoid reminders of their experiences; difficulty trusting others

Difficulties in relationships: feeling isolated or disconnected from others; abusive relationships; trouble with employers or authority figures

Physical health problems: sexual difficulties; chronic pain; weight or eating problems; gastrointestinal problems

There are many services available to veterans who have problems related to their MST. These are but a few of those services:

Every VA facility is supposed to have a designated MST Coordinator who serves as a point of contact for MST-related issues. The MST Coordinator is supposed to serve as the veterans advocate and assist the veteran in obtaining access to VA services, state and federal benefits and community resources. Some MST Coordinators are truly fantastic while others are a complete waste of time.

Every VA facility is supposed to have providers knowledgeable about treatment for the aftereffects of MST. Some VA facilities have specialized outpatient mental health services focusing on MST. Vet Centers (www.vetcenter.va.gov/) also frequently have specially trained MST counselors.

VA also has programs that offer specialized MST trauma in residential or inpatient settings. These are programs for veterans who require more intense treatment and support.

In an effort to accommodate veterans who do not feel comfortable in mixed-gender treatment settings, some VA facilities have separate programs for men and women.

Veterans should feel free to ask to meet with a provider of the same or opposite sex if it would make them feel more comfortable.

Veterans may also be eligible to receive compensation if you are disabled as a result of sexual or personal trauma. If it is determined that your disabilities are a result of or have been made worse by injuries or diseases incurred in or aggravated during military service, you may be eligible to receive service-connected compensation. You must have been separated under other than dishonorable conditions to be eligible, and must currently suffer from a disabling condition to receive compensation. A common disability resulting from a sexual or personal trauma is Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

PTSD is a recurrent emotional reaction to terrifying, uncontrollable, or life-threatening event. The symptoms that may develop after the event include:

Sleep disturbances and nightmares

Emotional instability

Feelings of fear and anxiety

Impaired concentration

Flash-backs

Problems in intimate and other interpersonal relations

These symptoms may develop directly after the event they may develop many years later.

If you have any questions about this topic or any other topic regarding veterans benefits please feel free to contact us at Ask VetsFirst. Ask VetsFirst is a free support service for veterans and their family members. You can find Knowledge Books on a wide range of veterans issues and topics. You can also submit a request and have one of our counselors answer your questions.

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