海角大神

When Staff Sgt. Noah Lubben was assigned to Air Force Special Operations Command, he enjoyed the freedom and the 鈥渓aid back鈥� atmosphere among his crew. The airmen had more freedom there and embraced the swagger of the Special Operations flying culture. 鈥淚t was awesome,鈥� Sergeant Lubben recalls. 鈥滻t was fun.鈥�

But it was also a culture that ultimately contributed to his sexual assault, Lubben says 鈥� with 鈥渟exually charged鈥� and 鈥渄isgusting鈥� insults that isolated him and turned his longtime fellow troops against him.

As the Pentagon released figures last week showing that incidents of sexual assault increased 50 percent between 2012 and 2013, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel vowed to take a number of steps, including some designed specifically to reach out to men, who make up half of all reported victims of sexual assault, according to .听

鈥淲e have to fight the cultural stigmas that discourage reporting and be clear that sexual assault does not occur because a victim is weak,鈥� Secretary Hagel said. The Pentagon, he added, would be seeking 鈥渋nput from male victims鈥� to make prevention programs more effective.

Lubben, square-jawed and blond with a frank demeanor, says that early in his time in the unit, there was talk about the 鈥渃ultural lessons鈥� designed to haze new crew members into the ranks.听

One of these rituals, Lubben recalled, was the 鈥渘aked gunner hug,鈥� in which, they were told, the gunner would 鈥済o around hugging new flyers with his naked body.鈥�

One female airman took exception to this. 鈥淥ne girl in our class spoke up and said, 鈥業f that ever happened to me, I鈥檇 report it hands down.鈥� 鈥� In response, some of the male crew members 鈥� 鈥漨e and two other guys,鈥� Lubben says 鈥� 鈥漚ctually called her a prude,鈥� he recalls. 鈥淲e told her she wouldn鈥檛 fit in well.鈥�

Lubben later apologized to her for the remark, based on what he was to experience in the weeks to come.

It was on his gunship crew鈥檚 first temporary duty (TDY) trip to Tampa, Fla., that the trouble began. The crew鈥檚 navigator was a captain, and his conversation 鈥渨as always sexually charged,鈥� Lubben says.

鈥淗e bragged about his crude exploits with women,鈥� including showing crew members photos of his conquests stored on his cellphone, he adds.听鈥淗e was the center of attention, and the rest of the crew sought his approval." 听

On the first night of TDY, the crew went to a strip club. Lubben opted out. 鈥淚t鈥檚 just not my style,鈥� he says. 鈥淚 think this put a wedge between me and the crew.鈥澨�

He began to experience the brunt of the crew鈥檚 bad treatment. 鈥淭hey would say disgusting things鈥� directed at him over the plane鈥檚 communications system.

Then came Lubben鈥檚 first flight without an instructor, which was referred to among his crew and others as 鈥渃herry flights,鈥� a reference to a woman losing her virginity and 鈥渏ust another example that illustrates the sexuality ingrained in our culture,鈥� he says.

That's when the assault took place. After the crew coordinated over its communications system to 鈥済et鈥� Lubben, he turned around 鈥渁nd to my surprise he [the navigator] had his genitals out and seemed that he was going to hit me in the face鈥� with them. He raised his arm to block that contact.

During the post-flight debriefing, Lubben informed the officer in charge 鈥渁bout the navigator鈥檚 inappropriate behavior, and everybody laughed.鈥�

Lubben then spoke one on one with the mission commander, who 鈥渓ooked at me and said, 鈥榊eah, that kind of stuff happens.鈥� 鈥澨�

He decided to seek counsel from two fellow airmen closest to him. One 鈥渆ncouraged me to do the right thing. The other one warned me not to do anything 鈥� I鈥檇 make a lot of people angry and only ruin my career.鈥�

Then he sat down with his wife and made a checklist on paper. It became clear: 鈥淚 could do what was right, or I could do what was popular,鈥� he says. 鈥淭his made the choice clear for me and made it, not easy, but easier.鈥�

He went straight to his local sexual assault response coordinator. 鈥淚 was not afraid to speak out against my peers, so I reported it.鈥澨�

The report caused an outcry, however, among his commanders and fellow crew. People were not upset about his assault, he says, but rather that he had reported it.

At the squadron Christmas party, he was approached by a friend who had heard rumors about what had happened. 鈥淗e pulled me aside and asked, 鈥楥an I talk to you?鈥� He seemed concerned, honestly.鈥�

After Lubben told him the story, 鈥渉is demeanor changed. He pointed his finger at me and said, 鈥榃hy would you do that? Why would you report this guy and possibly ruin his career?鈥� 鈥�

He learned that while his experience with the navigator was hurtful, much more so was 鈥渢he lack of willingness from my friends to stand up for what I鈥檇 done,鈥� Lubben said. 鈥滻鈥檝e openly been called a snitch to my face and been stared down.鈥�

The gunship crew, one of the most-deployed units in the Air Force at the time, was disqualified from flying as a result of Lubben鈥檚 report.听

The navigator received an administrative punishment and was taken out of special operations command, Lubben said.听

Today, the Air Force is encouraging him to come forward. At a recent gathering of Air Force three-star generals, who are the 鈥渃onvening authorities鈥� in military justice cases regarding sexual assault, he told his story.

Afterward, he fielded questions from the generals, who included the top officer in the Air Force, Gen. Mark Welsh.

Lubben 鈥渋s not someone who feels like a victim and acts like a victim 鈥撎齕he] isn鈥檛 someone who isn鈥檛 strong,鈥� General Welsh said.听

And if his story 鈥渄oesn鈥檛 rip you apart,鈥� he told the gathering of dozens of generals around a large round conference room table, 鈥渢hen there鈥檚 something wrong with you.鈥澨�

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