FayObs: Judge discharges airman (She gives Iraq rape as misconduct reason)

[Hissyspit]

Sad story from The Fayetteville Observer, the local Fort Bragg/Pope Air Force Base newspaper:

http://www.fayettevillenc.com/story.php?Template=local&Story=6913965
Published on: 2005-03-24

Judge discharges Thompson
By Justin Willett
Staff writer

Rebekah Thompson deployed to Iraq in July 2003 full of excitement and with hopes of advancing her Air Force career. She had been in the military less than two years when she volunteered to deploy. She said she wanted to serve her country.

However, when she returned to Pope Air Force Base five months later, in December 2003, Thompson was "severely depressed" and distrustful of the military, her parents said.

Thompson, 25, began drinking heavily every night and showed little interest in her normal activities, including caring for her 5-year-old son, Micah, and showing up for work. Seven months after her return, Thompson told authorities at Pope that she had been raped while at Tallil Air Base, Iraq.

- snip -

She wrote that she had only been there a couple days when two young soldiers approached her and offered to give her a tour of the base. Thompson said they took her into a tent and shared small talk before they forced her to the floor.

"The two men raped me at knife point and told me if I ever said anything, they would kill me," she wrote. "After the attack, I didn't tell no one."

MORE

[WildClarySage]

1. Is this where the nutcases at DU will start saying

she shouldn't have accepted their offer for a tour or gone into a tent with them?

[DemoTex]

2. Eh? Nutcases at DU?

WTF are you rambling about? You sound like the nutcase.

[WildClarySage]

3. this is wtf I'm rambling about.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x3292262

[DemoTex]

5. So why not put that up front?

Why wait until questioned? Watcha hiding? Strange indeed!

[Ironpost]

4. Hold you head up, for, THEY will not be able to.

You'll be much stronger for being able to.
You have a big family here at DU, take advantage of it, we'll not let you down. My heart cries for you.

[FreepFryer]

6. Sadly, rape and murder happens when soldiers are under stress.

Whomever is responsible for this, if it is proven in a military court, should be held so responsible, under military code.

I don't care what political orientation she has. Being raped isn't something any woman deserves, ever.

The courage and dedication shown by enlisting was met with by a brutal display of inhumanity, by those entrusted to protect her.

If she hadn't been raped, she would likely be dealing now only (sic) with the trauma and guilt of her own inhuman behavior, or behavior she witnessed by virtue of having served in an active war.

Now she gets to do both, and to try being a single mom at the same time.

Too bad military families straddle the poverty line, but after all that's not a politically expedient area for GOP focus.

And isn't that what these kids are really dying for?