A Coast Guard Recruiter Took Advantage of Me. 10 Years Later I’m Still Struggling With PTSD.
** This anonymous U.S. Coast Guard Survivor Testimonial was originally submitted to “The Pettiest Officer of the U.S. Coast Guard” on Facebook in May of 2024 and re-published by MLAA. MLAA does not know the identity of the author and has not verified any of the claims or allegations made in this testimonial. Light formatting changes for readability, or redactions for PII may have been applied before publishing. **
I want to remain anonymous. Prior reservist, then active duty.
My recruiter told me if I didn't do things for him, I would never be allowed in the Coast Guard and he would sabotage me. So I traded sex for my dream of being in the Coast Guard because I was 18-19 and didn't know any better. I didn't tell anyone at basic even though they tell you the first day you can tell them if this was going on. What else was I going to do? Give up my dream of being in the Coast Guard?
I get to my reserve unit and I needed to network with another unit due to them having resources I needed. The second class there was obsessed with me, constantly telling me how good I looked, making sexual comments, and clearly mentally undressing me. It made me so uncomfortable, but I tolerated it because AGAIN, what am I supposed to do? He leaves and a third class comes in and he is worse. Constantly telling me that I am hot, I am a whore/slut/other degrading names. He grabs me by the waist despite telling him not to, and making sexual comments when his other coworkers aren't around. He really liked to tell me in detail about his BDSM fantasies and what he was into. When I got pregnant and clearly in a committed relationship, he asked if I knew who the father was.
I transferred units from reserve to active where it turns out this third class was stationed. As a non-rate, I discovered he was sexually harassing another non-rate onboard with sexual comments detailing what he wanted to do to them. No one ever did anything when he was there. They said it wasn't worth it. I put up with it during my time with him because I thought I was protecting other women. I was not; I discovered he was sexually harassing a new female servicemember assigned to his unit. It was so bad she was dreading coming into work every day and was contemplating serious consequences. I reported him and he is still in the Coast Guard. The only thing that happened to him is he was not promoted that cycle. He is still out there preying on other women. Women may not know they can speak up.
I cannot be alone in a room with a man, I have flashbacks to being assaulted or the harassment I endured and I panic. It has been almost 10 years since the recruiter and I can't move past it. I can't move on because I'm stuck in a vicious cycle that was then continued by people I should have been able to trust. I have been working with a therapist since 2019 who diagnosed me with post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of my experiences.
Integrity above all is a myth.