Sexual Arenas, Alcohol (Ab)use, and Predatory Leadership: Facilitators of US Military Sexual Violence

Abstract

Scholars argue that, historically, military women have not been considered equals to men in kinship and, therefore, have and will likely continue to experience more violence and greater fear of violence. The All-Volunteer Force (AVF) may even foster military sexual violence through sexual arenas in work-home spaces, alcohol (ab)use fueling sexual encounters between colleagues, and predatory leadership. This exploratory, grounded theory study captures insights of women veterans ( n = 20) entering service between 1964 and 2016. Full inclusion is alleged, yet military women are objectified and “othered,” targets of sex-based attention, predation, and violence. From these data, military sexual violence (MSV) characterizes the AVF. To mitigate this, a renewed commitment to the US military’s historical ideal of altruistic care is necessary to realize the full inclusion of women and reduce if not eliminate military sexual violence.

Overturning the “Risk Rule” of 1988, Opting for New Risks: U.S. Women Servicemembers and the War in Afghanistan

“…Their reasons, such as those described above, are numerous with women almost 30% more likely to attrite than men (Werner, 2020). This does not bode well for a robust AVF with increased diversity and equity; military women’s expectations of the AVF simply have not been met (Buscha, 2021).…”

“…Recently, Buscha (2021) directly challenged AVF tenets, suggesting that neoliberalism unexpectedly creates “sexual arenas” in the U.S. military, specifically providing the 24/7 opportunity for commodified sexual exchange between colleagues, possibly facilitating military sexual violence (MSV). Neoliberalism’s focus on the individual means that ideas related to concepts such as “the public good” and “the community” are discarded in favor of individual desires (Bourdieu & Nice, 1999; Martinez & Garcia, 2000), which is the antithesis of military good order and discipline.…”

“…When military members seek only their own gratification, “We’re [the Marine Corps] not in the business of taking care of people—it seemed to me that we were in the business of using them” (Moyer, 2021). Women entering the U.S. military expect to become members of a brother(sister)hood, yet find themselves isolated or, worse, targeted as prey (Buscha, 2021). When enacted between colleagues or superiors-subordinates as prohibited by the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ), sex does, in fact, create morale as well as a host of other military and personal problems (Uniformed Services University, 2020).…”

“… 1. “Risky” is best defined broadly here as “the potential for realization of external, unwanted, negative consequences of an encounter, encompassing individuals’ and/or society’s identification of a potential danger whether real or imagined” (Buscha, 2021: 89). …”