Documentary tells ex-Army sergeant's story of pain

Documentary tells ex-Army sergeant's story of pain
The Associated Press

The Defense Department said in a statement it is committed to eliminating sexual assault through a robust prevention and response policy, removing barriers to reporting and ensuring that care is available to victims.

Last year, the military took action against 600 suspected perpetrators. An additional 572 are awaiting action.

By CHERYL WITTENAUER

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Retired Army Sgt. Angela Peacock once was outgoing, competitive and athletic. These days, she barely functions, trusts no one and suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder that prevents her from working.

She has gained 100 pounds and chain smokes. She lives alone in northern St. Louis County on a military pension and disability.

The story of Peacock's struggle to recover from the trauma of combat and an alleged sexual assault by an officer premieres Wednesday in a new online documentary. "Angie's Story" is the latest webcast in the series "In Their Boots," about the struggles of Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans and their families.

The series is a project of the Brave New Foundation, a Culver City, Calif.-nonprofit group headed by filmmaker and political activist Robert Greenwald. His films, including "Iraq for Sale: The War Profiteers," "Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price" and "Outfoxed: Rupert Murdoch's War on Journalism," are left-leaning.

But "In Their Boots" is apolitical. That was a condition of the grant from the financial backer, the Iraq Afghanistan Deployment Impact Fund, Greenwald said.

"This is not partisan work," he said. "We were approached to take this on because the stories of patriotic men and women returning home and adjusting to physical and mental problems are stories that traditional media have not been covering."

The series has explored such topics as traumatic brain injury, the plight of young military widows and a soldier's suicide from the parents' point of view.

In the 20-minute documentary "Angie's Story," Peacock says she told her platoon leader while deployed in South Korea in 2001 that she'd been raped by a noncommissioned officer.

She recalled her platoon leader saying, "If you tell, they're going to make you look like a whore. They're going to say you were drinking, it's all your fault. You better just keep your mouth shut."

Peacock said she later learned 57 military women had been sexually assaulted in South Korea that year.
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Angela Peacock
Army Sergeant Angela Peacock joined the military in February 1998. She wanted to travel, serve her country and gain some life experience. In 2001, while deployed in South Korea, Angie was raped by a fellow soldier. She was encouraged by her command not to tell, so she held it in, and in 2003 she took it to Iraq with her. She led her unit courageously, but silently struggled until she couldn't stay quiet any longer. Out of Iraq and back at home, Angie decides to take control of her PTSD - a result of both her military sexual trauma and combat stress - and take her life back.
Three short videos of Angela, one with taking care of her spirit with instructor, another with her meditating and another with using crafts.
http://intheirboots.com/RS117.php

The need to take care of your spirit cannot be overlooked when trying to heal from trauma. No matter what faith you claim as your own, or if you have no faith at all, it is a very important part of your healing. Reach out for God as you know Him or keep reaching out until you find Him and the peace you need to feel within. If you do not believe in God, then at least try to reconnect to the spirit within you.