The Veteran Affair's Disability Rating System is unfair and cruel.
The rating system is most cruel to female military veterans.
Female veterans face many obstacles not only in the VA system but the military.
The US military boasts equal opportunity but what they fail to mention is that females in the military are at high risk of becoming victims of sexual harassment/assault and rape.
One in three women in the military will be sexually assaulted.
Up to 66% will be sexually harassed.
The DOD/Tricare currently does not pay for rape kits.
The cost to collect evidence from a sexual assault is usually paid for by the victim.
According to the Department of Defense's own statistics 74-85% of soldiers convicted of rape or sexual assault leave the military with honorable discharges (this means the rape does not appear on their records)..
The victims of these crimes more times to none leave the military scarred mentally as well as physically.
Representative Jane Harman (D-CA) once stated that a woman who signs up to protect her country is more likely to be raped by her fellow soldiers.
Over 90% of all females that report a sexual assault is discharged before her contract ends.
From the 90%, 85% are discharged against their wishes.
Some of these rape victims are filing for disability compensation with the Veteran Affairs.
They are hitting a dead end walls.
They are receiving ratings lower than male soldiers who are drawing disability for hemorrhoids.
Why is this allowed to happen? Why is the female population being so utterly disregarded? These atrocities are documented but no one wants to be the voice that brings such horrible things to light while more women are being raped and victimized.
In a country, that boasts opportunity as well as equality, the female community within our Department of Defense as well as within the veteran community has a long, hard road still ahead of them.
Please imagine for a moment the atrocities which face our women within our military.
Female soldiers are deployed with our male soldiers into battle areas.
Imagine for a moment what it is like to worry about the enemy and your coworkers.
Women face many enemies during not only war but also during alleged peace time.
I know of women who have slept with knives in their boots to fend off potential rapists.
Who are the possible rapists? They are her coworkers, people she works with on a daily basis.
People she is expected to work as a team with.
This is utterly ridiculous.
One would think the Veteran Affairs would be sympathetic to the plights of female rape victims from our military.
They are not.
The Veteran Affair's disability rating system is made up of predominantly male veterans who once belonged to the "good ole boy" institution commonly called the Department of Defense.
Proof of their blatant disregard for female veterans is the low rating's they issue to female military rape victims.
Does the Veteran Affair's understand what rape is? They blatantly turn their head while disrespecting female military rape victims by issuing disability ratings of 10-30%.
I know of a male soldier who lost his foot during the war.
He draw's 30% disability compensation.
The highest percentage I have viewed a female veteran draw is 30% for military sexual trauma.
She was a documented rape victim.
I am sympathetic to the male soldier who lost his foot; however, the females who are raped in our military lose their whole bodies.
Rape is a terrible thing.
Female veterans are suffering from lifelong repercussions from the rapes they experience within our military.
They are placed on waiting lists for PTSD/Military Sexual Trauma clinics.
There are only four of such clinics for female veterans across our country.
I call for justice for our female veteran's as well as our female military members currently serving.
They are screaming for justice only to see their cries falling on deaf ears.
They need help.
They need help.
They want to serve their country.
Our country needs to provide the freedom to do so without rape and sexual harassment/assault coming along with that honor.
They are mothers, wives, daughters, sisters.
They give all to serve.
They deserve the honor to wear the uniform.
They deserve the honor to serve our country.
What they do not deserve is to be raped not only by their own coworkers but a system which does not give a damn.
The cries of women are screaming for justice.
There is no doubt in my mind that if female rape victims were mostly male the system would have created more resources as well as more severe punishments.
The VA system is blatantly stating to female veterans "How dare you bring this to light"! I will write, "How dare you NOT bring this to light"!