The Modern American Military

I just had my online news browsing come to an eye-gouging stop as I found this on AlterNet:

Women in the military are twice as likely to be raped as their civilian counterparts. In fact, "women serving in the U.S. military today are more likely to be raped by a fellow soldier than killed by enemy fire in Iraq," Congresswoman Jane Harman, D-Calif., told the House Subcommittee on National Security and Foreign Affairs in May.

Let me say, first of all, that I could not be more honored and humbled by the sacrifices my country's military men and women have made. I will follow that, however, by saying that the conduct of some soldiers and officers - and the prejudices that drive some parts of military culture - is appalling and disappointing.

Military service should be something noble, as I see it. Military service should be a way for citizens to earn distinguishment and dignity through commitment to a cause. Unfortunately, the path to dignified military service has been clogged for those of racial, gender and religious minorities, in particular. I don't see why it has to be this way - how patriotic camaraderie can be overshadowed by such petty categorizations is beyond me.

That article leaves me aghast. When you are more likely to be hurt by your own team than by the other, something has gone terribly wrong with your team.