US military and prostitution
I read a rather loaded article via Reuter’s that discussed the topic of prostitution and how the United States militaries is “cracking down” on the issue. There appears to be a disconnect between how United States military is supposed to address the issue by enforcing laws against prostitution and against human trafficking but also the knowledge of the military sometimes using a prostitutes services while they are often overseas. Which, according to the article, it’s apparently a rule that a person enlisted in the military is not allowed to engage in prostitution even if they are in a countries which allows it. It is considered “incompatible” with military values. John McCain spoke out about a recent prostitution scandal regarding Columbia. Where military personnel where apparently seen with prostitutes.
However, Senator Lindsay Graham was interviewed about this particular scandal and when asked if the military enforces rules about prostitution he said, “No, probably not.” His view is based on the 26 years he had spent in the military.
The connection between military personnel prostitution is something that is often told in a way that paints a picture of military going to different countries to pay prostitutes for their services. I’ve heard this just in life- stories of men in the military going and using prostitutes from the countries they are visiting. Before reading this article I had never broken this rhetoric down. I wonder if it’s true that there is a disproportionate amount of soldiers who are the ones using prostitutes? Without disrespecting the US military, it’s worth it for me to research this.
Researching this issue, did basically nothing for me. Which means a couple of things: either people don’t care about this particular issue or people are highly sensitive for calling military out for using prostitutes. Unfortunately, I think it’s the latter.
I read another article about the same sandal involving military personnel who were caught using prostitutes, but were not charged with the offense. It’s sort of all the article mentioned.
Honestly, I find it disturbing that I can’t find any evidence or articles about how the United States military men are using prostitutes overseas. In other articles about the relationship between military and prostitution we normally see how soldiers in the Congo. As seen in “the Greatest Silence: rape of the Congo.” I really question: if it’s so prevelant for Congo soldiers to use rape as a weapon, why isn’t it the same for US soliders? Why do we tend to see it as a “rite of passage” for these soldiers. Is it possible that soldiers are using prostitutes over seas for the same purpose the Congo soldiers do? To fight the enemy?
Obviously, there is a lot to break down here. We have to make a distinction between paid prostitutes and women getting raped. These aren’t always one in the same however, they can be. Which makes the articles a bit confusing. I do want to say, this article brought up more unanswered questions then it did anything else. It may seem a bit unorthodox, or rather, nonacademic, to write on something where the research simply isn’t there. However, there is something to be said; due to the sheer lack of research done on US military and using sex as a weapon, it seems fishy. I certainly do not place “us” above “them” and do not expect our tactics are not similar. I wonder if there is more to the story than just a couple of soldiers buying some prostitutes over seas, considering how much we hear that story. I’m curious to know if there is more.
Works
Dilanian, Ken. “U.S. Army: 11 Military Personnel Involved in Prostitution Inquiry.” Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles Times, 20 Apr. 2012. Web. 07 May 2012. <http://articles.latimes.com/2012/apr/20/news/la-pn-military-colombia-prostitution-20120420>.
Zakaria, Tabassum, and Susan Cornwell. “U.S. Military Faces Scrutiny over Its Prostitution Policies.” Reuters. Thomson Reuters, 29 Apr. 2012. Web. 07 May 2012. <http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/04/29/us-usa-agents-military-idUSBRE83S09620120429>.
The Greatest Silence. Dir. Lisa F. Jackson. Jackson Films, 2007.
