As a victim of sexual assault in the military, I know firsthand that things need to change.


Being sexually assaulted changes you. You become less trusting and more fearful of your surroundings. If you are raped or assaulted while working for, or serving in the military, the fear and mistrust is magnified.

After my assault at Aviano Air Base in Italy and reporting the crime, I endured eight months of public humiliation. The defense did everything they could to drag my name and character through the mud. And, I still went to work and did my job.

I watched as my assailant's commanders sided with my perpetrator before, during and after the trial. During the trial, three current or former commanders testified to Lt. Col. James Wilkerson's "good military character." Many others wrote affidavits touting his character as well. Over 30 current or former commanders wrote letters supporting overturning his conviction through clemency. Many of these letters from commanders attacked the prosecution, the court members, the judge and me.

If it were not for the persistence of the prosecution team, my case would not have gone forward.

When I first arrived in Italy, I stayed a month in a beautiful town called Maniago. The second night there, I heard music in the distance outside my window and walked down to the piazza. It was magical; a couple hundred people outside were playing Bingo in the piazza. Kids were running around, a couple of priests in their long cassocks. The fountain in the center was lit up. That was my first impression of Italy and I thought I was in heaven.

During my last weeks in Italy, almost two years later, I spent time house sitting for friends I had made in Maniago. There was a weekend long festival for the saint of Maniago and I was sitting outside on the veranda enjoying the evening -- walking distance from the piazza, listening to the music from an Italian band desperately trying to sing "Barbara Ann" by the Beach Boys. I want to go down to the piazza, but I couldn't. I just couldn't. I don't feel the freedom to move around by myself anymore.

This is who I've become. No matter how much time goes by, I still can't sleep on the right side of the bed, and I've lost the nerve to just go for a simple walk to a friendly piazza. It's pathetic, and ridiculous. Understand, it's not just what happened to me, it was scary and altered an otherwise trusting view of people in general; it was the aftermath of the process. I thought the isolation; the ridicule, the daily disparaging looks and comments were worth an honest judicial system. When the decision against Lt. Col. Wilkerson was thrown out -- the floor went out from under me and the trust I had for the military to work dissolved. The awful memories of that night and subsequent treatment by the command all came flooding back to me. Really, no matter what tweaks there are to this broken judicial system and what the military promises, and promises and promises, their decisions are still based on who is at the top, who is more valued, their decisions are not based on justice.

And there continues to be zero accountability for those leaders who protect perpetrators. Just look at what happened with Lt. Gen. Craig Franklin and Gen. Phillip Breedlove's protection of my perpetrator, Lt. Col. Wilkerson: Nothing. There has been no consequence for Franklin's overturning of the conviction, and immediately placing the perpetrator on a list for promotion. Or for Breedlove's defense of Franklin's action while attacking the prosecution and court.

Commanders don't need this duty; they have shown time and time again they do not handle it well. Let them focus on what's important to them, fighting for this country and keeping the U.S. safe from harm. It's not a lack of faith that is the reason for this change; it's a realization that bias and conflict exists in favor of the often higher-ranking perpetrator, and victims will continue to fear coming forward.

Regardless of all the promises by military leadership and half measures offered in the name of reform nothing short of removing the prosecution and adjudication authority away from the commander and placing it with independent, military professionals outside the accused's and victim's chain of command will end this nightmare.

I want to thank my family, friends, and the tireless work of advocacy organizations like Protect Our Defenders, for all of their unwavering help and support during this difficult time.

I ask you, my fellow citizens to join me in calling on our Senators to stand up and do the right thing -- to support the Military Justice Improvement Act.

Kimberly Hanks is a physician's assistant based in California. Until September 2013, Kimberly worked as a contractor at Aviano Air Base in Italy.

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