Senator Martha McSally (R-AZ) would seem to be the perfect person to have in a subcommittee hearing on military sexual assaults. The retired Air Force fighter pilot would surely have a perspective to bring to the proceedings from her 27 years of service, including fighting for equal treatment for female members against restrictive rules when deployed overseas in deference to local customs.
The hearing got a lot more personal than that.
In a hearing today, Senator Martha McSally of Arizona shared that while she was serving in the US Air Force she was raped by an Air Force Officer. @SenMcSallyAZ also added that when she shared her story she was mistreated by Air Force commanders. pic.twitter.com/xBgd5EaklI
— Yashar Ali 🐘 (@yashar) March 6, 2019
Sen. Martha McSally, during an emotional Senate Armed Services subcommittee hearing on military sexual assault Wednesday, said a superior Air Force officer raped her.
McSally, the nation’s first female fighter pilot to serve in combat, told lawmakers that she was “preyed upon and raped by a superior officer.”
“I also am a military sexual assault survivor, but unlike so many brave survivors, I didn’t report being sexually assaulted,” McSally said.
“Like so many women and men, I didn’t trust the system at the time. I blamed myself. I was ashamed and confused. I thought I was strong but felt powerless. The perpetrators abused their position of power in profound ways.”The Air Force said they were aware of McSally’s comments, but did not provide further comment.
I applaud her bravery in talking about this now, and so publicly. This is how things change. I’m grateful.Report
Like Maribou, I am grateful for her doing this incredibly difficult thing so publicly. I know how hard this is to talk about even privatelyReport
God Bless her. It’s not easy speaking out on sexual assault. But it’s necessary to destroy the rape culture. When a victim’s trust is betrayed, it takes *everything* with the grace of God to forgive. And it can take a lifetime.Report