by Wally Cuddeford

On Wednesday, Dec. 15, sexual assault survivor Suzanne Swift appeared before a hastily assembled court-martial. She was charged with going Absent Without Leave from her unit at Fort Lewis, on the eve of their deployment to Iraq. Swift's court-martial wasn't going to happen until January, but it was hastened when she agreed to make a deal with the military. The terms of Suzanne Swift's deal are as follows:

Swift will spend up to 30 days in the brig.

She has agreed to stay in the military until January of 2009.

She has been reduced in rank from Specialist to Private.

Spc. Suzanne Swift takes on the enablers of sexual assault in the military.

by Janet Blanding

Suzanne Swift, a victim of rape and sexual harassment by her superior officers, is being forced to continue military service against her will as the army drags its heels over investigating her complaints. A group of Olympians refuse to tolerate this institutionalized abuse. They have formed an organization called the Swift Action Network and are engaged in actions to bring this issue to public attention and force the military to deal with it swiftly and openly.

Camp Suzanne demonstrators make their demands clear outside of Fort Lewis at the Exit 119 overpass above I-5. Photo by Jeff Paterson.