Army soldier and Houston, Texas native Vanessa Guillen was only 20 years old when she disappeared on April 22 from her base at Fort Hood, just days after reporting to family, friends and fellow soldiers that she was being sexually harassed by another soldier. Now her remains have been formally identified according to a family attorney. The main suspect, Aaron David Robinson, is now dead by suicide after confrontation with police and his girlfriend, Cecily Aguilar, has been arrested for allegedly helping him dispose of Guillen’s body.

Fort Hood officials are denying any knowledge of sexual harassment against Guillen and have not found a link between her murder and the alleged sexual harassment by the suspect. According to family, Guillen did not file a formal complaint with military officials for fear of retaliation. Guillan’s family is now calling on Congress to investigate the Army’s handling of the investigation claiming the Army did not take Guillan’s disappearance seriously for weeks. #IAmVanessaGuillen is now flooded with thousands of posts from women who have served in all branches of the military, shining a #MeToo flood light on sexual assault and harassment in the Armed Forces. 

According to Protect Our Defenders , out of the 20,000 sexual assaults that active duty members suffer each year, only 130 end in conviction, claiming formal reporting risks future career aspirations and retaliation. Protect Our Defenders is a human rights organization that fights for survivors of military sexual assault and harassment. 

Although the Army has the Sexual Harassment and Assault Response and Prevention Program (SHARP) designed to educate soldiers about sexual violence and provide a platform for victims to report incidents, SHARP appears not to be sufficient .  In the military, prosecutions are handled by commanders who may have a conflict of interest, especially if they know the offender personally. As a result, the process is suspect and there are few prosecutions.  

It is time for reform that would allow any service member to file a complaint of sexual assault and harassment with an outside non-military third party. This would allow investigations and prosecutions of violators without conflicts of interest and would help protect the claimant from retaliation. Combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) is calling for an immediate comprehensive review of SHARP to determine “whether SHARP is achieving its objectives...,” such review to include “surveys of soldiers addressing individual experiences with, and perceptions of, the SHARP program.” 

For more on the history of sexual assault and harassment in the military, check out our blog titled 'Review of Industries: The Military’ on our website and our new book ‘Play Nice: Playground Rules for Respect in the Workplace.’