D-M commanders, shirts get special SARC briefing

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Tim Beckham
  • 355th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
DAVIS-MONTHAN AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz. --  Dr. Linda Fischer, a retired Army major, who was sexually assaulted by her commanding officer while serving on active duty, shared her story with D-M's commanders and first sergeants Aug. 13 at the Hope Chapel here.

Dr. Fischer, who regularly guest speaks about sexual assault, said she feels like it's her duty to tell servicemembers about her experience because having been a career soldier herself, she hopes to make a difference with the stigma sexual assault has in the military.

"Most people probably don't know this, but according to Air Force stats 28 percent of women in the Air Force have survived a rape and 38 percent have been sexually harassed by a supervisor," she said. "That's twice as high as the civilian side."

One of the main problems the armed forces creates, according to Dr. Fischer, is when a sexual assault occurs there isn't adequate punishment handed down.

"In most cases their solution to the problem is to just move the individual who performed the sexual assault," she said.

Dr. Fischer said one of the only ways to get through to sexual predators is to hand out harsher punishments and to have them challenged more by their peers.

"Men must challenge men with the choices they make," she said. "I think men are more willing to listen to information when it comes from another man."

Dr. Fischer currently works at the University of Southern California in the Doctoral Support Center, helping students earn their doctorates.

To learn more about D-M's sexual assault awareness programs, call Lakshmi Kumar at 228-7272, or visit http://www.dm.af.mil/library/sarc.asp.