#MeToo: Sexual Harassment in the Army
A lot of what happens in the military goes unnoticed, such as sexual harassment. I recently chatted with Nyseria Baylor-Ali where she discussed her experiences dealing with sexual harassment in the Army. Check out the interview below:
Can you please tell myself and the reader’s about yourself?
My name is Nyseria Baylor-Ali been in the military little over two years. I grew up in Camden, New Jersey.
Growing up who or what were your inspirations?
My grandmother was my inspiration. She came here from Italy with nothing and didn’t finish high school, but has a college diploma.
You’re a mechanic in the army, what influenced your career decision?
I wanted to try something different. I’ve never done anything mechanical related ever.
You were previously on assignment at Fort Drum correct? Were you sexually harassed and assaulted at this base?
Yes, i was both harassed and assaulted at this assignment.
How did these assaults make you feel?
The assaults made me feel embarrassed and low.
Can you describe how you were being assaulted?
He groped me in front of my company.
How long were these assaults going on?
The assault happened once.
How many times were you physically and verbally attacked?
I was verbally attacked for over a year and physically that one time.
What ethnicity was the officer doing the crimes? What rank was the officer and was he your superior?
He was an NCO of Hispanic ethnicity and yes he was a superior to me.
Did the officer assault you in private or public areas? Please describe.
The NCO did the assault in public.
Did you file any reports or complaints after the first few attempts? What was said to you?
Yes, I made compliance company level and was told he may be just playing, guys play that way. I’m in a male dominated profession.
When did they finally stop? What was done about the situation? What happened to the officer?
It stopped when I reported it higher than company level. He is know facing charges.
Do you feel these kinds of assaults happen more than often to other female officers? Do you think they are just afraid to speak up due to feeling inferior or being treated differently?
Yes, I feel like these kinds of things happen very often because I don’t believe I was the first person. I may have just been the first to speak up about it. A lot of people in the military are afraid of rank. Most of the time it’s a lower enlisted that’s has to face the reality of if they want to speak up or not.
What words of wisdom or advice can you give to someone dealing with similar situations?
Speak up. Being silent only kills yourself in the end. The more aware you make the situation no matter the backlash from it; the easier it will be for you to get through it.