AAUW Learns About Abuse in the Military

American Association of University Women strives to help end violence against women. Members learned more about this problem when Geri Herndon spoke to the group about sexual harassment in the military. She enlisted in 1976 and retired in 2010. She now lives in Ridgecrest, Calif. and is presently employed by Ridgecrest Regional Hospital.

Herndon showed portions of The Invisible War, a documentary that received the U.S. Documentary Audience Award when it premiered at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival.

The film has brought attention to the problems women in the military have faced for many years. They have often been reluctant to report assault and harassment for fear of reprisals and lack of recourse to an impartial justice system.

The number of reported incidents of harassment has been increasing for the past several years. However, Herndon feels this may be because more women are reporting incidents because of the attention that is now being given to the problem of harassment and assault.

She also pointed out that harassment and assault is not limited to women. Men sometimes face similar problems.

A second speaker, Charisse Rudolph, described a program she supervises which helps veterans with the lingering after effects of combat on their physical and emotional health. The program called Healing Horses & Armed Forces is located in Tehachapi. It serves Kern, San Bernardino, and Los Angeles Counties.