Mel's Story: Surviving Military Sexual Assault

By G. Trudeau

"An estimated 19,000 rapes and sexual assaults took place in the military last year. Every one of them represents a monstrous crime made much worse by the sense of betrayal that accompanied it. That so few victims--just one in seven--report these crimes underscores the utter lack of trust that pervades military culture."
-- Retired Gen. Loree Sutton and Garry Trudeau, in a Washington Post OpEd, June 29, 2013

The first time B.D. encounters command-rape survivor Melissa Wheeler in the waiting room at the VA Center, he has no idea what to make of the scowling former chopper mechanic. But in the months that follow, witnessing Mel's pain and her healing process help him with his own, and B.D. ends up a staunch and encouraging ally.

With the help of VA counselors Cora and Elias, Wheeler is able to reframe her experience and move forward to the point where she re-ups and re-deploys, though the trauma and betrayal continue to haunt her. She and battlebud Roz masterfully manage a perilous rescue op of a downed USO chopper, and in the new post-DADT world the now-out Roz and her now-superior ("That's SERGEANT bitch to you!") help wind down US ops in Afghanistan. Returning stateside, Mel's final obstacle is her father's cluelessness--and a widespread reluctance to hear the truth of her story.

As always, Trudeau manages to find humor and humanity in even a tale of suffering, and sheds serious light on one of the most pressing and undermining problems in our military today.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Open Road Integrated Media
• Release date: Oct 28, 2014
• ISBN: 9781449462093

Book preview

Mel’s Story

Surviving Military Sexual Assault

by G. B. Trudeau

Foreword by

Congresswoman Jackie Speier

Gee whiz, the hormone level created by nature sets in place the possibility for these types of things to occur.

—Sen. Saxby Chambliss at Senate Armed Services Committee Hearing on Military Sexual Assault

Foreword

by Congresswoman Jackie Speier

The military’s justice system hasn’t stopped the epidemic of rape and sexual assault among the ranks. Responses by Congress and the White House fail our brave service members and jeopardize their health and safety every day. The Department of Defense continues to defend this age-old justice system that places total authority over rape cases into the hands of commanders with no legal expertise.

There are an estimated 26,000 sexual assaults a year in the military, but reporting is low, court-martials are rare, and the conviction rate is less than 2 percent under the chain of command. Only 5,000 reports were made in 2013 and only about 10 percent of those even went to trial. The reason is crystal clear––commanders have a built-in conflict of interest that undermines a soldier’s due process rights.

Since 2011, I have shared thirty stories on the House floor of both men and women in our armed forces who were sexually assaulted. Many of these stories involved commanders who subverted investigations, refused to bring a case to court-martial, or overturned a case after a jury had found the perpetrator

Reviews for Mel's Story

[clark7hallman · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Mel’s Story: Surviving Military Sexual Assault (A Doonesbury Book) by G.B. Trudeau is a terrific and important graphic novel about the trauma that women in our armed forces endure because of sexual assaults. Melissa (Mel) struggles to cope after a “Command Rape” i.e., a sexual assault by a superior officer. Trudeau presents her story in his usual effective way that enables the reader to empathize with her. During the story the reader also learns some facts and statistics about the prevalence and consequences of such attacks. In addition, he provides a side story about one of Mel’s unit friends, who is a lesbian, and how she deals with her sexuality. While this book covers serious situations and struggles, Trudeau also works his magic to introduce considerable humor. The result is an educational and entertaining read.