Sylvia Pimentel

On the Fort Hood sexual harassment murder, I’m a US Army WAC veteran. I also was sexually harassed when I enlisted in 1972. First by my recruiter’s assistant before going to basic training and during my entire tour. I’m glad you exposed the cover up. It’s always been happening. Unless there is a special department headed by other women to investigate sexual harassment complaints, nothing will change in the military. Unfortunately men in the military feel women in the military are like Gehsha girls for their pleasure. Complaints will be stifled by male investigators. I survived due to fellow WAC’s who helped me move on by reassigning me to other jobs through the Personnel department. I had a lot of jobs and they didn’t get me. After I was honorably discharged, I waited a couple of years before joining the Army Reserves in 1977. Same thing was still occurring, sexual harassment. This the I wrote to Senator Strom Thurman since my Army unit was in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. He wrote back that he wasn’t Alabama’s State Senator but would forward my letter to the appropriate person. I received another Honorable Discharge and they didn’t get me, sexually. I’m sorry to hear it is still happening in the military today. This time it lead to murder of a promising young woman. Men are not sympathetic, women are. A serious department set up by a government agency with women investigators, nothing’s going to change when it comes to justice for sexually harassed women in the military. 30 years is long enough to wait for change and justice for all! Sylvia Pimentel-Kent