Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility

US Electric Vehicle Tax Breaks Will Expire on Sept. 30

2 hours ago

‘Reservoir Dogs’ and ‘Kill Bill’ Actor Michael Madsen Dies at 67

3 hours ago

Eyeing Arctic Dominance, Trump Bill Earmarks $8.6 Billion for US Coast Guard Icebreakers

3 hours ago

Trump’s Sweeping Tax-Cut and Spending Bill Wins Congressional Approval

4 hours ago

Americans Celebrate Their Independence With Record-Breaking Travel Numbers

7 hours ago

US Supreme Court to Decide Legality of Transgender School Sports Bans

8 hours ago

Nvidia Set to Become the World’s Most Valuable Company in History

8 hours ago

Poll: 41% in US ‘Extremely Proud’ to Be American, Near Historic Low

8 hours ago
Sen. McSally, Ex-Air Force Pilot, Says Officer Raped Her
gvw_ap_news
By Associated Press
Published 6 years ago on
March 6, 2019

Share

WASHINGTON — Sen. Martha McSally, the first female Air Force fighter pilot to fly in combat, said Wednesday that she was sexually assaulted by a superior officer, and later, when she tried to talk about it to military officials, she “felt like the system was raping me all over again.”

The Arizona Republican, a 26-year military veteran, made the disclosure at a Senate hearing on the military’s efforts to prevent sexual assaults and improve the response when they occur. Lawmakers also heard from other service members who spoke of being sexually assaulted and humiliated while serving their country.

McSally said she did not report being raped because she did not trust the system, and she said she was ashamed and confused. She said she was impressed and grateful to the survivors who came forward to help change the system. She was in the ninth class at the Air Force Academy to allow women, and said sexual harassment and assault were prevalent. Victims mostly suffered in silence, she said.

McSally read from a prepared statement getting choked up at one point. She referred to “perpetrators” who had sexually assaulted her, an indication that she had been attacked more than once.

She did not say whether her assaults happened at the academy or during active duty. She didn’t name any names.

She said she stayed silent for years. But later, as she watched the military grapple with how to handle sexual assaults, she felt like she should speak out.

She Shares in the Disgust of the Failures of the Military System

“I was horrified at how my attempt to share generally my experiences was handled,” she said. She almost left the Air Force after 18 years.

“Like many victims, I felt like the system was raping me all over again.”

“I was horrified at how my attempt to share generally my experiences was handled. Like many victims, I felt like the system was raping me all over again.” — Sen. Martha McSally

McSally’s revelation comes not long after Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, detailed her own abuse and assault, and at a time of increased awareness over the problem of harassment and assault in the armed forces and the larger #MeToo movement that roiled Hollywood and major corporations.

Reports of sexual assaults across the military jumped nearly 10 percent in 2017 — a year that also saw an online nude-photo sharing scandal rock the Defense Department. Reporting for 2018 is not yet available. Reports of sexual assaults were also up at the military academies, most at West Point.

McSally said she shares in the disgust of the failures of the military system and many commanders who haven’t address the problems of sexual misconduct. She said the public must demand that higher-ranking officials be part of the solution, setting the tone for their officers.

“We have come a long way to stop military sexual assault but we still have a long way to go,” the senator said. “It took many years and too many lives ruined.”

Her colleagues on the committee lauded her for coming forward.

“I’m deeply affected by that testimony,” said Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y.

An Increase in Reported Assaults

McSally told the Wall Street Journal last year that she had been sexually abused as a teenager by her high school track coach. She said the coach took advantage of her through “emotional manipulation” because her father had died. He denied the allegations.

McSally served in the Air Force from 1988 until 2010 and rose to the rank of colonel before entering politics.

In 2001, McSally sued the military so she would not be required to wear a head covering while she was stationed in the Middle East. McSally, who had worked as a national security aide for Sen. Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., was elected to the House in 2014 and served two terms.

She was appointed by Gov. Doug Ducey, R-Ariz., in December to replace the late GOP Sen. John McCain after she narrowly lost last year’s race for Arizona’s other Senate seat to Democrat Kyrsten Sinema.

McSally had been critical of Donald Trump in 2016 but embraced a tough stance on immigration and praised the president during last year’s midterm election.

She will serve until 2020, when voters will elect someone to finish the final two years of McCain’s term.

Defense officials have argued that an increase in reported assaults reflects a greater willingness to report attacks, rather than indicating assaults are rising. Sexual assaults are a highly underreported crime, both in the military and across society as a whole. Greater reporting, they argue, shows there is more confidence in the reporting system and greater comfort with the support for victims.

DON'T MISS

What Are Fresno Real Estate Experts Predicting for 2025 and Beyond?

DON'T MISS

First California EV Mandates Hit Automakers This Year. Most Are Not Even Close

DON'T MISS

Valadao, Costa Spar on What Passage of Trump’s Bill Means for Medicaid Recipients

DON'T MISS

US Military Says 200 Marines Being Sent to Support ICE in Florida

DON'T MISS

Boeing Secures $2.8 Billion US Satellite Contract

DON'T MISS

Kaweah Health Names Its New Chief Nurse. She’s From Texas

DON'T MISS

Clovis Police Say At-Risk Missing Woman Found Dead in Mariposa County

DON'T MISS

Over 100 Former Senior Officials Warn Against Planned Staff Cuts at US State Department

DON'T MISS

US Electric Vehicle Tax Breaks Will Expire on Sept. 30

DON'T MISS

‘Reservoir Dogs’ and ‘Kill Bill’ Actor Michael Madsen Dies at 67

DON'T MISS

Fresno Police Recover Some of the $40,000 in Fireworks Stolen From Bullard High Team

DON'T MISS

Eyeing Arctic Dominance, Trump Bill Earmarks $8.6 Billion for US Coast Guard Icebreakers

UP NEXT

Poll: 41% in US ‘Extremely Proud’ to Be American, Near Historic Low

UP NEXT

Poorest Americans Dealt Biggest Blow Under Senate Republican Tax Package

UP NEXT

Poll: Most Americans Say National Divide, Political Violence Threaten Democracy

UP NEXT

Trump Pulls Back 150 Guard Troops From Federal Duties in California

UP NEXT

Suspect Identified in Ambush Shooting That Killed 2 Idaho Firefighters

UP NEXT

Suspect Identified in Ambush Shooting That Killed 2 Idaho Firefighters

UP NEXT

US Supreme Court Lets Parents Take Kids Out of Classes With LGBT Storybooks

UP NEXT

Bill Moyers, Broadcaster and LBJ’s White House Press Secretary, Dies at 91

UP NEXT

Tesla Executive, Elon Musk Confidant Leaves EV Maker, Bloomberg News Reports

UP NEXT

How a Birthday Boat Ride on Lake Tahoe Turned Tragic

Kaweah Health Names Its New Chief Nurse. She’s From Texas

1 hour ago

Clovis Police Say At-Risk Missing Woman Found Dead in Mariposa County

1 hour ago

Over 100 Former Senior Officials Warn Against Planned Staff Cuts at US State Department

2 hours ago

US Electric Vehicle Tax Breaks Will Expire on Sept. 30

2 hours ago

‘Reservoir Dogs’ and ‘Kill Bill’ Actor Michael Madsen Dies at 67

3 hours ago

Fresno Police Recover Some of the $40,000 in Fireworks Stolen From Bullard High Team

3 hours ago

Eyeing Arctic Dominance, Trump Bill Earmarks $8.6 Billion for US Coast Guard Icebreakers

3 hours ago

Trump to Sign Bill on Friday at 5 p.m., White House Says

4 hours ago

Colombia President Recalls Ambassador to US

4 hours ago

Riverdale High School Coach Arrested for Allegedly Arranging to Meet Minor

4 hours ago

Valadao, Costa Spar on What Passage of Trump’s Bill Means for Medicaid Recipients

As the drama unfolded Wednesday night into Thursday, Rep. David Valadao was one of the initial holdouts on voting for the “One Big Bea...

28 minutes ago

28 minutes ago

Valadao, Costa Spar on What Passage of Trump’s Bill Means for Medicaid Recipients

An ICE agent talks with migrants about their scheduled appointments with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on Father’s Day, to learn about their immigration status, in Chicago, Illinois., U.S., June 15, 2025. (Reuters File)
51 minutes ago

US Military Says 200 Marines Being Sent to Support ICE in Florida

Boeing logo and miniature satellite model are seen in this illustration taken, March 10, 2025. (Reuters File)
1 hour ago

Boeing Secures $2.8 Billion US Satellite Contract

1 hour ago

Kaweah Health Names Its New Chief Nurse. She’s From Texas

Clovis Police are searching for Pathmani Goonawardena, 82, who went missing nearly three weeks ago and was last seen driving a white Volvo near Copper and Auberry, possibly en route to Coarsegold. (CHP)
1 hour ago

Clovis Police Say At-Risk Missing Woman Found Dead in Mariposa County

A general view of a U.S. State Department sign, on the day U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio meets with Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto, in Washington, D.C., U.S., March 4, 2025. (Reuters File)
2 hours ago

Over 100 Former Senior Officials Warn Against Planned Staff Cuts at US State Department

An electric vehicle charging location is shown from the view of a drone in Carlsbad, California, U.S., May 14, 2025. (Reuters File)
2 hours ago

US Electric Vehicle Tax Breaks Will Expire on Sept. 30

Actor Michael Madsen arrives at the Hollywood Film Awards in Beverly Hills, California November 1, 2015. (Reuters File)
3 hours ago

‘Reservoir Dogs’ and ‘Kill Bill’ Actor Michael Madsen Dies at 67

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Search

Send this to a friend