JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-FORT SAM HOUSTON, Texas –
Service members, Department of Defense civilians and 502d Air Base Wing leaders had a frank discussion about what needs to be done to confront the issues of bullying, interpersonal violence and racial bias in the military during a “Tough Conversation” roundtable at the Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston Military & Family Readiness Center Aug. 11.
The roundtable discussion included 11 service members and DOD civilians from units and organizations throughout JBSA and was led by Brig. Gen. Caroline Miller, 502d Air Base Wing and JBSA commander, and Chief Master Sgt. Wendell Snider, 502d Air Base Wing and JBSA command chief.
Recent violent incidents involving the deaths of service members were brought up by participants in the roundtable, including that of Airman 1st Class Natasha Aposhian and Army Spc. Vanessa Guillen. Aposhian, 21, was killed by another Airman in a dormitory June 1 at Grand Forks Air Force Base, North Dakota, in a possible case of domestic violence.
Guillen went missing from Fort Hood, Texas, April 22. Her remains were found in June, several miles from Fort Hood. A fellow Soldier, who was suspected of killing her, committed suicide when law enforcement officers attempted to arrest him.
Before she was murdered, family members say that Guillen told them she had been sexually harassed by a sergeant but was afraid to report it.
One government civilian said, as a mother, she was upset by how Army and Fort Hood officials handled Guillen’s case.
“I was just mortified because I’ve been her, where you feel like you don’t know who to go to because it looks like a good old boy system,” she said.
An Airman said she felt the Army lied to Guillen’s family about their daughter’s case.
“They covered it up and protected something they thought was a potential murder, and then they let him (the suspected killer) kill himself,” the Airman said.
Miller said, from what she read about the Guillen case, the Army specialist didn’t go to her supervisors to tell them she was being sexually harassed because she felt there would be reprisals against her and that would reflect poorly on her.
“We should be approachable to people because we don’t know what’s happening, and so that concerned me a lot,” Miller said, referring to Guillen’s reluctance to tell her superiors she was being sexually harassed. “I am wondering how many other Airmen, Soldiers and Sailors in which that is going on.”
Another government civilian said, from his experience as a victim of interpersonal violence and systemic discrimination, victims are not being protected by the organizations they work for while the aggressors are protected.
He said, based on research he has conducted focusing on women, indigenous, Black, brown, people of color, there is culturally-based interpersonal violence that is being covered up, either by policy implementation or by a collective culture.
“As a victim now, it’s my job to inform you to protect the victims first,” the government civilian said.
Another Airman said he has seen a change in how the military is handling issues of interpersonal violence, bullying and sexual harassment.
“Five or six years ago, we weren’t talking about this,” he said. “Somebody decided, ‘Hey, let’s find out if there is a problem.’ Now we’re trying to fix it.”
The Airman added that it’s up to service members and people within units and organizations to change the culture of confronting issues of interpersonal violence, bullying and bias.
“I think that’s where the change starts,” he said. “It starts right here in this room. It starts when we go back to our offices. The change starts with us.”
Two participants in the roundtable discussion suggested that JBSA leaders go to outside experts and consultants to take a look at and assess the culture at JBSA to see what can be done to improve it.
Miller said any JBSA members who have any ideas, suggestions or concerns about improving the work and organizational culture at JBSA can email her or Snider directly.
In her concluding remarks, Miller thanked the roundtable participants for being honest and candid on what they have seen and observed in their workplaces and organizations when it comes to the issues that were discussed during the “Tough Conversation” roundtable.
“I think these small groups for us are good,” Miller said. “I appreciate the honest feedback.”
The “Tough Conversation” roundtable is a newly implemented series focused on important, challenging and impactful topics that affect the Air Force and DOD. This series fosters an open and candid dialogue between 502d ABW senior leaders and service members and civilians of all ranks and backgrounds.