'Full Battle Rattle'(01 of27)
Open Image ModalRebekah Havrilla, out on patrol in Afghanistan. The former Army sergeant and Explosive Ordnance Disposal specialist enlisted in 2004, seeking out job training, education, "some patriotic element" after 9/11 and a way out of South Carolina."I went in with the idea of making a career out of it," she says. "I thought, I can't be Special Forces, I can't do Rangers because I don't have a penis -- closest thing I can get to actually doing that type of job is EOD [Explosive Ordnance Disposal]." (credit:Rebekah Havrilla)
Shot Hole(02 of27)
Open Image ModalHavrilla crouches in the remnants of a "demolition shot" she and her team did of a "bunch of captured enemy munitions" outside of Forward Operating Base Gardez, in Afghanistan."It's a very male dominated, hypermasculine environment, so you've got to be the tomboy, kind of, 'let's play cowboys and indians. And soldiers,'" she says. But to some, this also meant persistent sexual harassment and even assault. (credit:Rebekah Havrilla)
Rebekah Havrilla(03 of27)
Open Image ModalHavrilla says intense nightmares kept her from sleep, night after night, after she got back from Afghanistan -- until recently, when she moved to New York. Though Havrilla says that at first she suffered from the kind of hyper-vigilance described by fellow combat veterans in urban settings, she loves the city -- namely because it is so different than where she grew up, in a conservative Christian family in rural South Carolina.She is getting her Masters and working for the Service Women's Action Network (SWAN). (credit:Rebekah Havrilla)
Tia Christopher(04 of27)
Open Image ModalAn early photo of Tia Christopher, who joined the Navy at age 18 in 2000 and was out just under a year later, honorably discharged with a "personality disorder." (credit:Tia Christopher)
Women Veterans(05 of27)
Open Image ModalTia Christopher and her friend Aston Tedford at a women veterans retreat in Arizona several years ago. Christopher now works as an advocate for veterans, in particular victims of MSA, and has written guidance on the subject. (credit:Tia Christopher)
Jungle(06 of27)
Open Image ModalTia Christopher in a favorite photo. (credit:Tia Christopher)
'I'm Beautiful Despite The Flames'(07 of27)
Open Image ModalTia Christopher sent this photo of her recently completed tattoo Friday, Sept. 28. Written in Arabic, she says "her motto" -- which covers scars from her assault -- more literally translates: "Despite the flames that devoured my flesh, I am still beautiful." (credit:Tia Christopher)
Tia Christopher(08 of27)
Open Image Modal (credit:Tia Christopher)
Balloons(09 of27)
Open Image ModalClaire Russo in a childhood photo. (credit:Claire Russo)
Claire & Coconut(10 of27)
Open Image ModalClaire Russo pictured at 10 years old, in 1989 with "Coconut." Russo grew up near Washington, D.C., and worked on the Hill."I was sort of -- well no, a really privileged middle-class kid," she says. "I was just fascinated with the debate, and the decisions the government was making … And I remember a very strong desire to serve." (credit:Claire Russo)
Claire Russo Salutes Her Cousin(11 of27)
Open Image ModalClaire Russo in 2004 at Quantico, right after being commissioned, saluting her cousin Tom Winkle, a Navy lieutenant and pilot. Russo lived with Winkle in San Diego, and was with him the night of her assault, at the Marine Corps Ball. It was Winkle that reported Russo's assault; she did not want to report, being afraid for her career. (credit:Claire Russo)
Basic School(12 of27)
Open Image ModalClaire Russo (right) with her roommate at The Basic School in Quantico, Va., after finishing a field exercise. Russo says that one of the 30 females in the class of 180 was raped in the barracks while she was at The Basic School. (credit:Claire Russo)
Fallujah Courtyard(13 of27)
Open Image ModalClaire Russo in a courtyard in Fallujah, Iraq, in 2006, when she served as the targeting officer for the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force. She deployed two weeks after testifying at the discharge hearing of the serviceman who raped her, Douglas Alan Dowson -- he was already in prison. (credit:Claire Russo)
'Citizen Of Courage'(14 of27)
Open Image ModalClaire Russo (front) salutes the flag during the national anthem, before she was given the "Citizen of Courage" award from the San Diego District Attorney's office in 2006. Behind her is San Diego District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis and First Marine Expeditionary Force (IMEF) Commanding General John Sattler, who Russo says is the "only commander to ever apologize to me for what I experienced." (credit:Claire Russo)
Russo And San Diego DAs(15 of27)
Open Image ModalDeputy District Attorney Gretchen Means, Claire Russo and District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis, after Russo received the "Citizens of Courage" award from the San Diego District Attorney's office at Camp Pendleton in 2006. (credit:Claire Russo)
Down The Aisle(16 of27)
Open Image ModalClaire Russo at her wedding to Josh Russo. Lt. Josh Russo was stationed at Camp Pendleton, some 40 miles north, at the time of Russo's assault in 2004. He remains in the military. (credit:Claire Russo)
Claire And Josh Russo(17 of27)
Open Image ModalClaire and Josh Russo on their wedding day, with friends from the Marines. (credit:Claire Russo)
Russo And Her Motorcycle(18 of27)
Open Image Modal"Me on my Russian Minsk 120 cc dirt bike, in Laos. This was one day on an 8 month trip/honeymoon Josh and I took. We rode motorcylces through SE Asia, Australia and went to Africa," Russo describes in a recent email. (credit:Claire Russo)
'Marawara'(19 of27)
Open Image ModalClaire Russo in Afghanistan near the Pakistan border, on a mission with the 1st Battalion, 503rd Infantry Army Paratroopers."I spoke with the district governor that day about how we could help to get a woman working for the Ministry of Womens Affairs working in his district," Russo writes. (credit:Claire Russo)
Claire, Josh And Genevieve Russo In Paris(20 of27)
Open Image ModalClaire Russo and her husband, Josh Russo, and their baby Genevieve, here four weeks old, in Paris. Josh serves in the U.S. Army. (credit:Claire Russo)
St. Genevieve(21 of27)
Open Image Modal"My 4 week old daughter Genevieve and I in front of a painting of Saint Genevieve, the patron saint of Paris, who saved the city from the Huns," Russo writes. (credit:Claire Russo)
Marti Ribeiro In Front Of Village(22 of27)
Open Image ModalMarti Ribeiro served with the Air Force, Army, Navy and Marines over eight years as a combat correspondent. (credit:Marti Ribeiro)
Interviewing(23 of27)
Open Image Modal'Afghan Girls On Rooftop'(24 of27)
Open Image ModalA photograph of Afghan girls, taken by Marti Ribeiro during her deployment. (credit:Marti Ribeiro)
Ribeiro In 2006(25 of27)
Open Image ModalMarti Ribeiro and an Afghan boy in 2006. (credit:Marti Ribeiro)
'Soaked To The Bone And Miserable'(26 of27)
Open Image ModalMarti Ribeiro titles this photo -- taken in Afghanistan in 2006 -- as "soaked to the bone and miserable." (credit:Marti Ribeiro)
Marti Ribeiro And Her Daughter Bela(27 of27)
Open Image ModalMarti Ribeiro and her daughter, Bela, in San Antonio, Texas. (credit:Marti Ribeiro)