As someone who served on active duty in the Army, I was offended by John Bambanek’s recent whitewashing of rape and sexual harassment in the military.

Bambanek bases his vast knowledge of the Armed Forces on having completed Air Force ROTC (never having served a day on active duty) and conversations with “quite a few women” who served. Later, Bambanek posted on the AWARE list-serve that he had talked to “several” military women.

A brief rundown of my experience: after completing Basic Training, I was stationed at the Defense Language Institute in Monterey, Calif. Supposedly, we were the “cream of the crop.” Two weeks after my arrival, a girl in my company was raped. Many of my fellow soldiers were diagnosed with “personality disorders,” and Prozac was doled out like candy.

After suffering harassment and bullying by NCOs and a recurring stress fracture in my foot, I received an administrative discharge from the Army. The first question I was asked when the proceedings began: “Were you sexually assaulted?” Evidently, sexual assault is so commonplace that it is a standard question.

One of my friends, an Iraqi interpreter who worked with U.S. forces in Mosul, told me about soldiers pestering him every day to find local women and girls for them.

“Defending something good and worth dying for?” Tell that to Iraqis who are now tattooing identification on their bodies in case they are blown up.

“Before You Enlist” should be shown at every high school in the country. We have a responsibility to protect our young people from an institution that shows no regard for their physical, moral and emotional well-being.

Tammy Watts

Champaign resident