Airman’s Wife Sexually Assaulted in Japan Wants $5 Million from the Air Force
It is horrible what happened to this spouse, but if the military had to pay $5 million to everyone that was sexually assaulted there would not be a military for much longer:
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Then-Amn. Justin S. and his wife, Bethany, arrived at Kadena Air Base in Japan Oct. 6, 2017, for his first duty assignment. They were excited to begin their life in the Air Force, and eager to meet their fellow airmen at Kadena, Justin’s top pick for his initial assignment.
But all that ended the next day, when their official, assigned sponsor — then-Senior Amn. Steven Newt — coaxed them to a booze-soaked barbecue at his house and pressured Justin to drink. After Justin, Bethany and most of the other party-goers had gone to sleep, Newt was caught groping and kissing Bethany’s unconscious body.
Newt pleaded guilty last October to Bethany’s sexual assault and is now serving time in jail, but the events of that night traumatized her and left her suffering from depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress requiring therapy, she said. (……)
So far, Bethany has been fighting an uphill battle with the Air Force. Last November, she filed a personal injury claim seeking $5 million from the Air Force. But in May, the Air Force Legal Operations Agency denied her claim.
Air Force Times
You can read more at the link, but I would be surprised if the Air Force did not look into how the perpetrator’s command chose unit sponsors for newly arriving airmen. Did the perpetrator have past misconduct that should have raised red flags? Having a substandard airman be a newly arriving airman’s first impression of their unit is probably not a good thing. Also was there any unit policy to not take new airmen to drinking parties after arrival? Simple policies like this may have been able to prevent what happened.
Here is another power tip which will be called “victim blaming”, but I call common sense, do not ever get blackout drunk with people you don’t know. So many of these sexual assaults are alcohol related. You have to be careful because even the military has it share of creeps like this perpetrator who is now fortunately rotting in jail and has to register as a sex offender after his release.
The sponsor was a Senior Airman? That strikes me as odd. I seem to recall sponsors being required to be NCOs. Maybe the Air Force unit in question forgot that the Air Force no longer has E-4 NCOs (they got rid of the Sergeant (E-4) rank. As GIKorea says, the command is going to be under a microscope.
My first “mentor” at my first base was a SSGT who was being discharged for drinking, gambling, womanizing, etc. He was replaced by a TSGT who smoked pot (not cool for bomber crews on SAC bases in 1979), and that fellow was replaced by a Senior Airman who was later given an Administrative Discharge.
I think that, and the fact that my poor naive carcass was brand new to the military led to my not wanting to stay in the service.
I understand other people had much different experiences. I wish I had been surrounded by successful people instead of drunks, druggies, and the like. I still hold myself accountable, as my choices were mine–and a few of the more senior NCOs did try to help; but they were very busy.
Not all NCOs are created equal. Not all Squadron Commanders can be trusted to make wise decisions. And many of us judge situations without getting all of the facts.
Like the dirtbag who tried to rape a drunk girl in the account above. He, for whatever reason, thought it would be okay. Unfortunately, the Senior NCO that assigned him isn’t sharing his cell.