Women in the military and “The Invisible War”

Hour 1

Thousands of women serve in the U.S. military; 142 have lost their lives in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. Women make up 15% of the active duty force. Yet according to a startling new documentary, “The Invisible War”, a female soldier is more likely to be raped by a fellow soldier than killed in enemy fire.  The Department of Defense estimates that in 2010 alone there were 19,000 violent sex crimes in the U.S. military.  “The Invisible War” investigates this epidemic of sexual violence in the military and why so few perpetrators are brought to justice.  This hour, we’ll talk about the problem of sexual violence in the armed services and about other issues service women face. We’ll also look at the Pentagon’s recent decision to open more jobs to women in the military including serving in battalions as medics, radio operators, tank mechanics and intelligence officers.  Women are still, however, banned from direct combat positions — the infantry, combat tanks, and Special Operations commando units.  Our guests are AMY ZIERING, the producer of “The Invisible War”, and ANU BHAGWATI, Executive Director and Co-Founder of Service Women’s Action Network and a former Captain and Company Commander with the Marine Corps.

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[audio: 070312_100630.mp3]