Word From Suzanne's Swift's Front Lines

Mary Conley

I had a realization about why this story is in some ways hard for me to write about and it gets to the essence of blogging: I feel like I should be a reporter and be able to spend the time researching the facts and reporting to you. Indeed, commenters on Blue Oregon frequently give us writers grief about our lack of citing appropriate sources, not having fully read reports we talk about, etc., when really what blogging seems to be largely about at this point in its evolution is commentary or sharing news.

So Suzanne Swift's mother, Sara Rich, deserves partial writing credit for this post. To read her original update, go to my last post and read her final comment. I got some more information from her later, so join me below the fold for the details...

July 15th was Suzanne's 22nd birthday, and her mother staged a vigil outside Ft. Lewis, where she is stationed in Washington state. About 250 people showed up throughout the day. Actions in support of Suzanne took place in Toronto, London, Kentucky, San Francisco, Maui, Honolulu, Philadelphia, Austin, and our own Eugene, among others. The outpouring of support has been a great boost for both Suzanne and Sara.

The Army hasn't disclosed the results of the commander-directed investigations yet, though statements were taken from witnesses, including Suzanne. The command now has to decide whether her allegations require the Army to take action and whether they have any bearing on Suzanne's case in particular. She had an exam by a military psychologist, who determined she does not have a personality disorder and that she has symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) -- but not enough for them to diagnose her with the syndrome itself. A civilian doctor, however, did diagnose her with PTSD. Her charges of military sexual trauma don't seem to be being addressed. Let's hope they do as the investigation continues.

Suzanne "sits in limbo, restricted to base and assigned to 'weeds and seeds' details, not knowing what her future holds," says her mother. Her new unit captain is a very kind man who is part of the reason that Suzanne hopes the Army will "do the right thing."

In this week when the world seems to be blowing up all over the place -- and soldiers of all ages are putting themselves on the line for what seems (to me at least) to be some really screwed up foreign policies, I hope we remember to take care of all our soldiers when they come home.  There won't be one that isn't traumatized.

To keep up with developments on Suzanne's story, you can visit her website at: www.suzanneswift.org.

By Mary Conley July 29, 2006