I'm proud to bring you this week's episode of SASS. Proud because I have the honor of introducing you to Shannon Hough, the CEO and co-founder of Shield of Sisters, and host of the companion podcast, Invisible No More: Lady Vetrans' Stories of Military Sexual Trauma. Shield of Sisters is a non-profit organization dedicated to "helping sister service members overcome military sexual trauma." (https://www.shieldofsisters.org/)

There is a very strong and significant impact being made by Shield of Sisters: it is the only non-profit organization and website conceived by a female military veteran for female victims and survivors of military sexual trauma. Here's more from the Shield of Sisters online homepage:

The mission of Shield of Sisters is to support and empower Lady Veterans who have experienced Military Sexual Trauma by providing a sisterhood focused on healing and restoration. We create safe spaces where these courageous women can share their stories, access vital resources, and transform from surviving to thriving. We strive to foster resilience, strength, and hope, ensuring that every woman can reclaim her voice and triumph over trauma.

Shield of Sisters (SOS) will one day be the premiere nonprofit organization for Lady Veterans who endured Military Sexual Trauma during their service to the United States. We will lead the way by raising awareness of this pervasive issue, collaborating with like-minded organizations, and advocating for policy changes within the Department of Defense to eliminate sexual assault in the military. Our Restoration Retreats will occur all across the United States and its territories with the assistance of regional and local SOS chapters.

Shield of Sisters believes that we are duty-bound to help our sister service members overcome the weight of Military Sexual Trauma. It's time to end sexual assault in our armed services.

Founder and CEO, Shannon Hough, joins me on the show this week; what a pleasure it was to get to know Shannon and hear the passion in her voice about the organization she helped develop, as well as her excitement about the recently launched podcast, Invisible No More.

There's a sad aspect to the Shield of Sisters and Invisible No More platforms, and that is that there is a need for them in the first place. It's a sad reality that rape and sexual assault exist in our society. And the fact that people who are in the military, whose oath is to serve and protect our country and the people who make up our country, and whose values are supposed to supersede the malevolent intent and acts of rape and sexual assault, are sometimes the perpetrators of these horrible acts, is shocking. Especially if you're one of the victims of these atrocious crimes. The reported prevalence rate is one-in-three victims in the military. But that's of the reported rapes and sexual assaults. The actual rate is most likely higher, as most people don't report their rape or sexual assault crimes to the authorities.

Another powerful aspect of Shannon is her own story of experiencing rape while in the Navy 30 years ago. And it wasn't just one rape, it was multiple times, as she was in a coercive and manipulative relationship with a person who was not only of a higher rank than her, but was also a military police officer, and who was married to someone else. And there's another shocking aspect to this horrific story that you'll have to listen to the episode to hear about.

Thank you for being here to listen to Shannon's story. After you've heard this episode, please do all you can to share this episode with everyone you know. And also, to Start By Believing…because we all know someone whose life has been impacted by rape or sexual assault. Another big favor I would ask is that you rate and subscribe to this podcast. It all helps the podcast grow, which in turn helps bring justice to victims and survivors of rape and sexual assault. By the way, it would be immensely appreciated if you would take just a few seconds of your time to please find the sexualassaultsurvivorstories page on Instagram and hit the follow button!!

Thank you for being part of my audience, and please become a regular listener and subscriber! A positive rating would also be greatly appreciated!

Please check out all this very important sites and links:

https://www.shieldofsisters.org/

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/invisible-no-more-lady-veterans-stories-of-military/id1754061590

www.arcigrey.com

https://markel-consulting.com

https://startbybelieving.org

https://safeinharmsway.org

https://thejanbrobergfoundation.org

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