“One week before my unit was scheduled to return back to the United States, I was raped by another service member that had worked with our team,” former Army Technician Rebekah Havrilla told the U.S. Senate last week. “Initially, I chose not to do a report of any kind because I had no faith in my chain of command. … The unit climate was extremely sexist and hostile in nature toward women.”

About 20 percent of military women report experiencing Military Sexual Trauma (MST), according to the Department of Veterans Affairs. This includes unwanted sexual touching or grabbing, threatening or offensive remarks about a person’s body or sexual activities, and threatening and unwelcome sexual advances. By comparison, only one in 100 men report MST.

Two Service Women’s Action Network staff members testified this month before the Senate on behalf of thousands of military service women who have been victims of sexual harassment and assault. This historic hearing marked the first time in almost 10 years that the Senate examined these outstanding issues.

SWAN Executive Director Anu Bhagwati, a former Marine Captain, and SWAN Outreach and Education Coordinator Havrilla shared their personal stories before the Senate.

Despite the large number of sexual harassment and assault cases reported to the VA, Bhagwati and Havrilla said that little has been done to prevent MST from occurring and that reports of sexual harassment, assault and rape, such as Havrilla’s, are frequently “swept under the rug,” says Bhagwati.

Bhagwati detailed to the Senate how she once attempted to file an investigation of an offending officer—and immediately was given a gag order by her commanding officer. She then “lived in fear of retaliation and violence” from the offender and her chain of command, while the offender went on to be promoted.

“Sexual violence is not just a ‘women’s issue.’ It is widely misunderstood by military personnel, who have been overexposed to a culture of victim-blaming and rape mythology, where victims are considered responsible for their own assaults, and perpetrators are simply naïve young service members who might have had a lapse of professional judgment,” Bhagwati said.

Bhagwati and Havrilla urged policymakers to:

1. Professionalize the military criminal-justice system: Authority over criminal cases should be conducted by trained prosecutors, as commanding officers cannot be truly impartial and unbiased.
2. Open civil courts to military victims: Currently, military persons are not allowed to bring claims for discrimination or negligence; therefore, the military is not held liable for failing to prevent or reprimand sexual harassment or assault infractions.
3. Ensure survivors’ VA claims get accepted: The Ruth Moore Act, not yet passed into law, could help in providing survivors of sexual assault with effective treatments for conditions such as posttraumatic stress disorder.

The post ‘I Was Raped,’ Military Women Tell Senate appeared first on DiversityInc.

Cloutier also explained (video below) how the company has changed its recruitment efforts to align job codes to find talented veteran employees. ADP particularly values veterans for their history of service and leadership experience.

ADP is No. 27 in the 2012 DiversityInc Top 50.

The post ADP: What Technologies Can Increase Veteran Recruitment? appeared first on DiversityInc.

Same-gender partners are expected to receive military identification cards, which will allow access to military perks such as commissaries and family-support programs, and access to military-only facilities including gyms and movie theaters. Additionally, same-gender partners could receive some privileges in health programs. The Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell (DADT) policy, which enforced a mandatory discharge of any troops identified as gay or lesbian, was repealed 16 months earlier.

“Considering DADT was repealed well over a year ago, our families have waited far too long for the Defense Department to extend benefits to same-sex military spouses,” said Stephen Peters, president of the American Military Partner Association. “No military family should suffer because of outdated regulations. For the sake of our families, we hope for substantive action and look forward to hearing from Secretary Panetta on exactly what benefits will be extended.”

While a step in the right direction, the benefits being extended to same-gender couples will not encompass the full breadth of allowances—including medical, dental, housing and other spousal benefits—because of the continued existence of the federal Defense of Marriage Act. That law states that the federal government only recognizes heterosexual marriages.

What About DOMA? What Will SCOTUS Rule?

As more states have recognized same-gender marriage, the next big question is how the Supreme Court will rule on the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and Proposition 8? Both cases will appear before the high court starting in March, with rulings expected sometime this summer. Proposition 8 refers to the ballot measure against same-gender marriage that was approved by voters in California but which has been ruled unconstitutional by lower courts.

“If you provide benefits to individuals seen as the most deserving and the social fabric doesn’t tear, that does make it easier down the line to do away with DOMA,” said Tammy S. Schultz, the director of the National Security and Joint Warfare Program at the Marine Corps War College. However, she says the benefits announced by the Pentagon “could be a flanking maneuver to keep chipping away at it.”

Global Equality Increasing

While global inequities for LGBT people remain and are examined in our recent Global Diversity Research report, there has been progress in certain countries. Our report examines LGBT resource groups and benefits, and companies’ abilities to create safe workplaces and to lobby for human rights. Most of the progress in LGBT equality globally has come in Western Europe. To that end, the British House of Commons just voted overwhelmingly to approve same-gender marriage in the United Kingdom.

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Mullen discussed with DiversityInc CEO Luke Visconti his views on leadership, accountability and the need to improve diversity in the military so all people have the opportunity to excel. His passionate testimonies for civil rights and inclusion for gay and lesbian service members helped persuade Obama to lift the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy.

“Diversity has wonderful characteristics across a large number of fields, areas, people, whatever the case might be. I didn’t want there to be any confusion about what I was going to focus on as the Chief Naval Officer,” Mullen told Visconti. “From a leadership standpoint, I thought where the Navy needed to go—and I was intending to take them there—was to focus heavily on African-Americans and women. I wanted to send a very clear signal about what we were going to focus on.”

Visconti himself is a veteran—he served as a Naval aviator and commissioned officer with the U.S. Navy from 1982 to 1990. Visconti now sits on the Chief of Naval Operations Executive Committee and has co-chaired three subcommittees regarding diversity and women’s issues.

Additionally, Captain Kenneth Barrett, General Motors’ Chief Diversity Officer, is also a retiree of the Navy. Barrett previously served as the U.S. Navy’s Diversity Director and presented at DiversityInc’s event on how to drive diversity and hold leaders accountable for results.

“We’re fortunate to have Admiral Mullen join General Motors’ board of directors. He brings proven leadership and deep experience in change management, strategic planning, technical innovation and risk management gained over the course of his 43 years serving our country,” says Dan Akerson, General Motors Chairman and CEO.

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“Women have shown great courage and sacrifice on and off the battlefield, contributed in unprecedented ways to the military’s mission and proven their ability to serve in an expanding number of roles,” says Panetta. “The department’s goal in rescinding the rule is to ensure that the mission is met with the best-qualified and most capable people, regardless of gender.”

Panetta: Diversity Champion

DiversityInc CEO Luke Visconti, a veteran, interviewed Panetta in 2010 on his desire for a more inclusive federal workplace, including the military. “Our mission is to gather intelligence throughout the world. …You can’t get good intelligence without understanding the world that we’re in, without reflecting the ethnic background of the world [and] relating to the nations that we’re involved in,” said Panetta during the interview, in which he discussed his experiences as a civil-rights champion and public servant. “The most fulfilling thing you can do in life is make a difference.”

“This was a good move, about eight years overdue. [The ban has] been holding down the careers of women who served in combat, but many officially have been in combat-support roles for the past 10 years. It shouldn’t have taken this long for policy to reflect reality,” says Visconti. Visconti served as a Naval aviator and commissioned officer with the U.S. Navy from 1982 to 1990, and he now serves on the Chief of Naval Operations Executive Committee, where he has co-chaired three subcommittees regarding diversity and women’s issues, reporting out to the Chief of Naval Operations. Visconti also was a driving force in pressing now-retired Admiral Michael Mullen to revise the military’s discriminatory “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy, which was repealed in 2010.

Women & Diversity in the Military

Military branches will have until January 2016 to implement the changes or to request special exemptions if they believe certain positions should remain under the ban. Congress will also have 30 days to consider the policy change. Front-line jobs could begin opening to women later this year.

“Today, by moving to open more military positions—including ground-combat units—to women, our armed forces have taken another historic step toward harnessing the talents and skills of all our citizens,” President Obama said, giving his endorsement. “This milestone reflects the courageous and patriotic service of women through more than two centuries of American history and the indispensable role of women in today’s military. Many have made the ultimate sacrifice, including more than 150 women who have given their lives in Iraq and Afghanistan—patriots whose sacrifices show that valor knows no gender.” 

Women currently make up 14 percent of the country’s 1.4 million active military personnel. Although women were not allowed to serve in combat officially, military women frequently had to engage in combat throughout the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, which blurred the roles of combat and non-combat personnel. More than 800 women were wounded, in addition to the more than 150 who were killed.

The decision is one of the last acts that Panetta will implement as Defense Secretary. Obama has nominated Chuck Hagel to assume the position for his second presidential term. Hagel is a former senator from Nebraska and a Vietnam veteran.

Panetta is a veteran who served as a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Army. He attended Intelligence School and was Chief of Operations and Planning for Intelligence at Fort Ord prior to starting his political career. Panetta served as a legislative assistant, then Special Assistant to Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare Robert Finch, and was Director of the U.S. Office for Civil Rights where he worked to enforce equal-education laws during the Nixon Administration.

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CEO Larry J. Merlo Signed Statement of Support for Guard and Reserve Members

WOONSOCKET, R.I., Jan. 22, 2013 /PRNewswire/ – CVS Caremark (NYSE: CVS) joined forces with the Rhode Island National Guard and Reserve and sponsored a “Hiring Our Heroes” Hiring Fair at the National Guard Armory in Warwick, RI this morning. The job fair helped veterans, active military members and military spouses find meaningful employment opportunities at CVS Caremark.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20090226/NE75914LOGO )

“Hiring Our Heroes plays a vital role in connecting our nation’s veterans to jobs,” said Larry J. Merlo, President and CEO of CVS Caremark. “Our servicemen and women, and their families, sacrifice so much for our country. This initiative helps ease their transition from active duty to civilian life and we are proud to be a part of it.”

Prior to the job fair, CVS Caremark’s President and CEO Larry Merlo signed the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve’s Statement of Support for the Guard and Reserve. By signing the pledge, CVS Caremark made a commitment to support the nation’s veterans and active military members. Merlo was joined by Brigadier General Charles Petrarca, the Assistant Adjutant General of the Rhode Island National Guard; James Rebholz, National Chairman of the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve; Mike Ritz, Chairman of the Rhode Island branch of the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve; and Kevin Schmiegel, Executive Director of Hiring Our Heroes and Vice President of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

“CVS Caremark appreciates the values and skills service members bring to the workforce. Currently, veterans and military members work in a number of positions across our company and we are pleased to be encouraging opportunities to hire additional guardsmen, reservists, and veterans,” added Merlo. “We are looking forward to learning about how these talented individuals may be able to strengthen our business and enhance our company’s workforce.”

CVS Caremark is one of nine Chairman’s Circle national sponsors of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Hiring Our Heroes initiative. Since 2011, CVS Caremark has participated in more than 40 Veterans-focused Hiring Fairs across the country.

About CVS Caremark
CVS Caremark is dedicated to helping people on their path to better health as the largest integrated pharmacy company in the United States. Through the company’s more than 7,400 CVS/pharmacy stores; its leading pharmacy benefit manager serving more than 60 million plan members; and its retail health clinic system, the largest in the nation with more than 600 MinuteClinic locations, it is a market leader in mail order, retail and specialty pharmacy, retail clinics, and Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Plans.  As a pharmacy innovation company with an unmatched breadth of capabilities, CVS Caremark continually strives to improve health and lower costs by developing new approaches such as its unique Pharmacy Advisor program that helps people with chronic diseases such as diabetes obtain and stay on their medications.  Find more information about how CVS Caremark is reinventing pharmacy for better health at info.cvscaremark.com.

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Following bad press about its practices in Mexico last year, Simon recently announced three major initiatives that analysts say should improve Walmart’s image as a leader in corporate social responsibility.

1)    Walmart will hire any returning veteran who wants a job within the first 12 months of coming off active duty. The company’s goal is to hire 100,000 veterans over five years.

2)    The company will increase its sourcing of American-made products throughout the organization by $50 billion over 10 years.

3)    Walmart will help more of its staffers become full-time employees. This means more workers will have access to health benefits.

“The election clarified for me that it’s time for those of us outside politics to get to work,” Simon said. “I find it fascinating that during the campaign we all waited with bated breath each month for the government to tell us how many private-sector jobs were created. After all, it’s the private sector that creates jobs.”

“We believe Walmart is already the largest private employer of veterans in the country, and we want to hire more,” he added. “I can think of no better group to lead in revitalizing our economy than those who have served in uniform. Through their service, veterans give us a land of freedom. When they return, it must be to a land of possibility.”

Most of the jobs offered to veterans, Simon noted, will be in Walmart stores and Sam’s Clubs, while some will be in distribution centers or at corporate headquarters in Arkansas.

Walmart and Sam’s Clubs have about 1.3 million employees in the United States. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 51.3 percent of all veterans (10.8 million) are part of the civilian workforce, accounting for approximately 6.9 percent of the total workforce (155.5 million). The jobless rate for veterans is 7.0 percent, which has decreased 9.0 percent since December 2011. The national unemployment rate currently is 7.8 percent.

“If someone’s unemployed, that’s an issue,” said Michael Dakduk, Executive Director, Student Veterans of America. “There are a lot of homeless veterans and a lot of veterans that are not employed. It’s certainly a step in the right direction, and I think that’s important to acknowledge.”

As for the company’s “Made in America” initiative, Simon said that already two-thirds of the company’s goods are made, grown or sourced in the United States.

Walmart has gained praise for these initiatives from leaders including First Lady Michelle Obama. Scott Paul, President, Alliance for American Manufacturing, called the announcement a potential game-changer because of the retailer’s influence on industry trends. “Ideally, Walmart’s and Sam’s Club’s pledge of increased domestic sourcing will include higher-ticket items like appliances and apparel, and not simply more of the current paper goods and vegetables that are made in the U.S.,” Paul said.

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NOD Board Member and retired Lieutenant General Franklin Hagenbeck appeared on Fox News Tuesday evening, as well as several radio interviews, to discuss thereport’s findings.  

Selected Media Coverage:

• Watch LTG Hagenbeck on Fox News

• Listen to LTG Hagenbeck’s live interview on Arkansas Radio News Network this morning (transcript below)

• Read the American Forces Press Service’s report on the successful results of Wounded Warrior Careers on defense.gov.

Here is the transcript from LTG Hagenbeck’s live interview on Arkansas Radio News Network:

Yesterday’s event, which was graciously hosted at the headquarters of Disabled American Veterans, was attended by members of the press, NOD CEO Council members, partners, and funders, including representatives fromAetna, Lowe’s, PNC, Rockwell Collins, Sodexo, and the Rumsfeld Foundation.

Bob Steele (host): Joining us on the live line is Gen. Franklin Hagenbeck.  He is retired, led ground troops in Operation Anaconda on the Pakistan-Afghanistan Border after 9/11 and is on the Board of the National Organization on Disability. He is joining us to discuss NOD’s new report on helping wounded veterans on their path to employment.

Well, I’m a veteran and am always pleased to find out about programs that are helping veterans.

LTG Hagenbeck: Well the report has been terrific. We partnered with the U.S Army.  They asked us in 2007 to help devise a solution for disabled or wounded warriors that were coming back to the communities to find ways to get employment or get back to an educational training track. We work in three different locations around the country, and we give them a veteran-centered, if you will, approach, with attention from other veterans, most of them other disabled veterans. They (the other veterans) work with them as counselors, mentors, and coaches, to lead them through a very structured career planning, career preparation process and get them back on the pathway of employment.  We have a 70 percent success rate which translates into within 18 months of initial contact with these young men and women, they are back either in workforce or in school.

Bob Steele: I know that you’re going to share this report and encourage the veterans, VA, Department of Labor dept. to embrace it

LTG Hagenbeck: Yes, I am in D.C. today, we met with them yesterday.  We are working very closely with some key folks. We take this thing as both public and a private enterprise. We have a lot of employers out there, including Walmart from Arkansas, and other places around the country that want to employ veterans, and we are working through that with them, because we know not only do we have lots of returning veterans from the war but within the next couple of years, as we withdraw from Afghanistan, as we downsize the military its anticipated that one to two million will come back to the community. It’s anticipated that one out of three will have some sort have disability to include some of the invisible wounds like traumatic brain injury and some other things. The employers will have to accommodate some of those kinds of veterans to come back, in fact they are doing this today.

Bob Steele: Let’s go back to Walmart. You mentioned it – what do you think about their announcement yesterday?

LTG Hagenbeck I think it’s absolutely terrific that they (Walmart) are going to do that. We have some other companies doing that as well and we want to work of them. We think that the answer really lies within the communities to be able to reach out to the veterans that come back to Little Rock and other place in Arkansas and around the country, and that is the sort of partnership that we need to develop overtime to get the local community to working with employers when embrace to returning veterans.

Bob Steele:  General we appreciate you joining us this morning and what you’re doing with our veterans.

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The findings resonate with recent news of a class-action lawsuit ruling, in Collins v. United States, that requires the Pentagon to reimburse $2.5 million in severance pay to the 181 gay and lesbian service members who had been targeted and discharged under the policy. The regulation dictated that all service members who were forced to leave military service because of their orientation were penalized half of their allotted severance pay—leaving them just $14,000 each. Normally, discharged military members would receive $28,000 in compensation.

Under terms of the settlement of the lawsuit, which was brought by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the Service Members Legal Defense Network (SLDN), the government will award $14,000 to each plaintiff who was involuntarily dismissed, both honorably and dishonorably, because of DADT.

“This means so much to those of us who dedicated ourselves to the military, only to be forced out against our will for being who we are,” said Richard Collins, a former Air Force staff sergeant and lead plaintiff. “We gave all we had to our country, and just wanted the same dignity and respect for our service as any other veterans.” Collins served his country for nine years prior to being discharged under Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. Collins had been seen kissing his boyfriend off-base.

“There was absolutely no need to subject these service members to a double dose of discrimination by removing them from the armed forces in the first place, and then denying them this small benefit to ease the transition to civilian life,” said Laura Schauer Ives, an ACLU lawyer.

History of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell

The Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy went into effect in December 1993 under the Clinton Administration. It stated that military applicants could not be asked about their sexual orientation. DADT was introduced in Congress as a compromise to the regulations from Ronald Reagan’s 1982 defense directive that stated that all military personnel who engaged in sexual acts with people of the same gender or who said that they were gay or lesbian would be discharged.

Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell was repealed in May 2012 under the Obama Administration.

The post Who Was Most Hurt By ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’? Black Women appeared first on DiversityInc.

See also:
Observations on the End of DADT
Ask the White Guy: What Changed Obama’s Mind About Gay Rights?
Ask the White Guy: Is It OK to Alter Your Standards to Conform to Another Culture?

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