I've come across the issue of rape in my work helping to train military psychologists. I particularly remember one long first person account, a recorded audio interview, so all the emotion came through in her voice. It's a real issue. Rape does happen, and not just in combat zones where stress is cited as an excuse. There appears to be a lot of it in boot camp, where the bad apples haven't been weeded out yet, and the people involved are youngest and least mature and least disciplined.

The military culture seems to view rape like civilian culture did four or more decades ago: Something to hide, something to be ashamed of, and full of suspicion that "she was asking for it". Female soldiers reporting rape are not treated kindly, and aren't given the consideration customary for civilian rape victims. The woman's likely to be interrogated by hostile male officers who are likely to be unreconciled yet to the presence of women in the military, and determined to prove that it's her fault, and the presence of women in general is a bad thing for the military.

The article was about more than the incidence of rape. Women still don't have an easy time of it in the military, and we have a long way to go yet.