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The House Committee heard a profound private story today about how the military’s sexist double standards shortened the career of an accomplished woman and allowed a senior male official to continue to serve in a similar but separate case.
Leah West, a former armor officer, attorney at the Department of Justice, and now a counter-terrorism expert at Carleton University, testified that she reached a consensus with members of the same level in the U.S. military when she was deployed, so Rejected and expelled from the army. In Afghanistan about ten years ago.
She told the Women’s House of Commons Status Committee that she was indicted, convicted, fined and returned to her hometown of Canada, where she assumed trivial tasks in an isolated work space.
West told the committee: “The message is clear-my career in the regular army is over.” The committee is investigating the impact of the sexual misconduct crisis on women in the military and veterans.
“My experience is an extreme example of double-standard women who wear uniform standard clothing every day.”
Her experience contrasted sharply with that of the lieutenant. Christopher Coates-then the deputy commander of NORAD-reached a consensus with a civilian woman serving the US military in Colorado Springs. Last summer, he was allowed to continue his post and was sent home to take over the joint operations command of the army.
Coates was originally scheduled to be transferred to a senior NATO position in Naples, Italy, until news of the incident became public. The move was cancelled and he now plans to retire.
The gendarmerie conducted an investigation, but said it did not violate the regulations.
West said that in her case, she could accept punishment for violating military regulations and prohibiting siblings during deployment.
She told members of Congress: “However, what I no longer accept is that I was given a derogatory name, told me that I was not worthy to lead soldiers, and even was threatened by my commander to use violence, and was repeatedly severely punished by senior officials. “Women’s Committee.
At today’s hearing, Conservative Party member Leona Alleslev (Leona Alleslev) appointed the military’s new professional ethics lieutenant general. Jennie Carignan, in the hot seat above that double standard.
Carignan said she could not tell the details of these two situations.
She said: “We must ensure that the same rules apply to everyone.” “This is part of the work we will do.”
Aleslev said that West’s actions were far less serious than those of Coates. The latter was one of the most important positions in the Canadian military, but West was eventually accused of carrying a black mark on his records.
Aleslev told Kalinya: “We hope you will return to the committee and clarify that in the case of Dr. West, or in the case of a lieutenant general who is still in service, no rules are actually violated. “
The Liberal government recently appointed the retired Supreme Court Justice Louise Arbor to conduct an independent review of sexual misconduct in the military and drafted recommendations on how to implement the recommendations in the review six years ago.
The most prominent of these recommendations is the call for the establishment of an independent center so that victims of misconduct can report what has happened to them without fear of retaliation.
West said she believes that Arbour’s findings can be implemented in her work-the government does not have to wait for the final report.
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