Women in the Military Must No Longer ‘Laugh Off’ Sexual Harassment : Personal Perspective

It’s hard to go against the grain of male-dominated institutions like the U.S. Navy. It’s hard because the moment we, as women, enter the service, our first battle is gaining acceptance from our male counterparts despite combat restrictions that limit our opportunities to compete. The last thing you feel you should do as a woman in the military is rock the ship by saying someone, or some people, are not playing by the rules. Which is why Lt. Paula Coughlin’s refusal, along with 25 other women, to back down from pursuing charges of sex harassment and abuse against Navy and Marine aviators is inspiring and professional.

By not allowing the reports of sexual assault and misconduct at the Tailhook convention in Las Vegas last September to languish and die in some office of investigation, these women are serving notice to the Navy that harassment and abuse will no longer be overlooked as just another aspect of Navy life. It is important for women in the military to see people like Lt. Coughlin risk career and go public to say, “Enough!” Indeed, she is a model for women in the military, because she has not used the Tailhook episode to further her personal agenda.

I know. I have been one of those women who have “laughed-off” inappropriate comments or out-of-place remarks made to me by men with whom I’ve worked. I haven’t always responded to such statements by calling them out of line and unprofessional. I haven’t, because I wanted to be a team player.

But what I’ve come to realize as a result of reading and hearing about other cases of sexual harassment--especially the Anita F. Hill episode--is that being a team player comes when all team members are playing by the same set of rules.

Sexual harassment and abuse, to be sure, are not strictly military problems. But its frequency within the armed services stems from the combat-training inequality between women and men. Combat training, it must be noted, includes air and sea and ground support, from which women are barred.

Some people may contend this is a backward approach to finding a solution to sex harassment, because, obviously, women can’t command the respect needed to deter misconduct. Well, they missed the lesson of Tailhook.

Our response should not be to wonder out loud why women in the military would want to subject themselves to harassment, even assault. Rather, our moral responsibility should be to stop it from occurring in the first place.

The U.S. military is not the place to “create opportunities and advance the causes of people with their own agendas,” to use the words of retired Air Force Gen. Robert T. Herres, chairman of the Presidential Commission on the Assignment of Women in the Armed Forces. But it is the arena to allow the best of the best to represent our nation’s Armed Forces. When an all-volunteer military force is being drawn down to minimum numbers as a result of budget cuts, excellence is key to maintaining national security. The continuation of these cutbacks strengthens the case for allowing women to compete for combat-duty assignments. This would give the military the advantage of deploying the best soldier where he or she is most needed.

Short of more opportunities for combat assignments, women will continue to be at a disadvantage in promotions. And with few reaching the top, the message sent to soldiers below is that women are unequal. That’s wrong.

The Navy has taken some important first steps since Lt. Coughlin appeared on television to describe events at the Tailhook convention. It has a new secretary. It has inaugurated one-day training sessions aimed at discouraging sexual harassment. But much more is needed. The Navy needs to make a firm commitment to this training program, because so many men come to the service thinking that sexual harassment is an acceptable way to treat women.

Still, the Navy--indeed, all branches of the U.S. military--needs more than one day a year to talk about these issues. Zero tolerance of sexual harassment must be stressed from day one of basic training, Officer Candidate School, academy life and Reserved Officer Training Corp. Navy personnel must know that harassment will get you out--not transferred. Relaxing combat restrictions for women would help further this goal.

Since the Tailhook scandal broke, I’ve been asked if I have second thoughts about being a woman in the Navy. My answer is no. At least in the Navy, I see the potential for our top leadership to make something right come from something that has been so wrong.