The U.S. military continues to struggle with sex attacks among military service members.

In September, the Pentagon said 8,866 sexual assault reports were made to the Department of Defense in fiscal year 2021, up from 7,816 the year before.

It is a problem many veterans, like Lorraine Holland, are familiar with. Even in retirement, Holland can’t help but be patriotic.

“I sit in 6 different veteran councils within Orlando,” said Holland. 

Methodically arranging beads in a uniform order offers a mental escape for Holland, who spent over 20 years in the United States Army. 

“You get kind of lost in your own thoughts,” said Holland. 

She takes enormous pride in her career, which started when she enlisted at 17 years old. 

“This is one of of my prized possessions,” said Holland, taking out a yearbook from the US Women’s Army Corps Center and School in For McClellan, Alabama. 

Her photos serve as a reminder of a time when women were not as common in the military. She had to attend an all-female bootcamp. She became the first female active duty graduate of the machinist course, and they deployed her to the middle east to serve in the Gulf War. 

“I consider myself a little trailblazer,” said Holland. 

But the photos are also a reminder of a second battle she’s been fighting for the last 44 years

“I think how naïve I was, how innocent looking I was,” said Holland. 

When she was 21 and stationed in Maryland, she was yanked from her barrack and assaulted by a fellow service member. 

“He grabbed me and I was brutally raped. I kept assuring him I would not report him because I did not know who he was,” said Holland.

But after winding up in the hospital, she mustered up the courage to speak out. 

Military sexual trauma, as it is termed, continues to be a problem. In the Pentagon’s latest annual report to Congress, about 8.4 percent of active duty women and 1.5% of active duty men reported having “unwanted sexual contact.” Holland wonders how accurate the numbers are if women decide not to report it, as with her attacker. 

“He had apparently raped two other girls previous to me but they never came forward so we took him to the court marshal and the other two girls still didn’t want to testify against him and I testified and he was found guilty,” said Holland. 

According to the VA,  1 in 3 women veterans tell their VA health care provider they experienced sexual harassment or assault while in the military.

Holland says of her female friends in the army, most of them told of similar experiences, with some choosing not to report it. 

“I don’t know in my heart of hearts if he had been a commander or colonel or someone higher ranking, I don’t know how comfortable I would have been,” said Holland. 

Since this experience, she had to seek help, something she says not all veterans realize they can do. 

“It threw me for a loop mentally. I had to get counseling,” said Holland. 

While she went on to get married and have a successful career climbing to the rank of major, she says the experience hardened her for the rest of her life. 

“I never want to be perceived as a female. I wanted to be an equal. I wanted to be a soldier,” said Holland. 

Now a veteran and a widow, she spends her days fighting for those who walk her path, letting them know they are not alone. 

“I do not see that going away,” said Holland. 

Holland says while her rapist was found guilty and did jail time, he raped a civilian woman once he was released. 

According to the VA, Women are now the fastest growing demographic within the Veteran community. The percent of veterans who are women is projected to increase to about 16% of the total Veteran population in 2040, up from 6% in 2000. 

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