Sailor's Disgrace: Surviving Military Sexual Assault and Navigating the Aftermath

“So shines a good deed in a weary world.” William Shakespeare  It’s been a while since I’ve made an episode, but I want you know that I have been hard at work.  Safe Waters is taking off in a positive direction and I have reached new milestones in my healing journey.  Through deep meditation and breath work, I have been able to tap into a deeper sense of self and am finding my path in life.    Whi...

“Strength in Healing” Safe Waters Motto Humble, grateful, and proud - that is how I am feeling right now.  I am proud to announce that we have officially formed our non-profit, Safe Waters.  Currently, we have four members on the Board of Directors.  If you follow the podcast and group then you are already familiar with Joanne Cloud and Meghan Klement.  Our new friend, Emily Hand, is the President...

***Trigger Warning - This Episode Contains Content That is Graphic in Nature*** Welcome back to our first storyteller interview. Astrid Parks is a survivor of Military Sexual Assault which occurred while on active duty with the Coast Guard. Her story is an important lesson in how to identify the signs of grooming. I’m grateful that Astrid reached out to our group and proud that she is taking the s...

"God, it was good to let go, let the tight mask fall off, and the bewildered, chaotic fragments pour out. It was the purge, the catharsis." Sylvia Plath I had the great honor of speaking at the Senior Executive Accountability Transparency Review Implementation Summit at Coast Guard Head Quarters a few weeks ago.  In short, I was able to share my full story and thoughts on Coast Guard cul...

Episode 3: Accountability and Transparency Review (ATR) Report   “It is easy to dodge our responsibilities, but we cannot dodge the consequences of dodging our responsibilities.” Josiah Stamp  Episode three is a deep dive into the ATR report that came out earlier this week.  There are more questions than answers at this point with my main concern being the lack of real accountability for the peopl...

“Men are not punished for their sins but by them.” Kin Hubbard Season 2 continues with a discussion on some of the news surrounding Fouled Anchor.  There are a few examples of former high ranking officials falling from grace, but is that enough?  Also, the current Commandant, Admiral Fagan, has ordered a full review of the Coast Guard’s sexual assault and harassment program with a 90 day Accountab...

"Shameful deeds are taught by shameful deeds." Sophocles Welcome to season two! Join me as I dive in to the recent Fouled Anchor investigation report. Nearly two decades of negligence and poor leadership at the Coast Guard Academy are brought to light in a CNN report and it is not pretty. I analyze each section of the report and share my insight as to why this report was buried by senior...

Welcome back to the podcast! Season 2 is underway and I am excited to post new content very soon. I have some interviews lined up which I am really looking forward to sharing with you all. Also, there has been a lot of developments regarding Fouled Anchor and the impact it has made on the Coast Guard. We will dig deep on this story and discuss the ramifications it has had on the service as a whole...

“Self trust is the first secret of success.” Ralph Waldo Emerson This is the final episode of season 1.  In this episode I discuss the process I took to heal both mentally and physically from my trauma and cancer.  Having the strength to put the past in its proper place was crucial in order to move forward. Years of therapy and self care got me to where I am today.  It is a long and arduous road t...

“One of the biggest defects in life, is the inability to ask for help.” Robert Kiyosaki  Finally accepting that the Coast Guard investigation was at an end and that the perpetrators would not be held accountable, I was able to slowly start the healing process.  Therapy began to marginally improve my situation.  The daily struggle to survive became less excruciating and I felt that I was ready for...

"I am terrified of this dark thing that sleeps in me, all day I feel its soft, feathery turnings, its malignity." Sylvia Plath - Ariel Shortly after making my unrestricted report, the CGIS investigation began. I was at my lowest point in my life and was scared of every shadow, every thought that entered my mind. The only thing keeping me from harming myself was my 4 year old son. Not onl...

Our second interview (and first video recorded interview - posted on Youtube) is with Mr. Bradley Angle.  Bradley is a former Coastie, a fellow shipmate from the CHASE, and my best friend of 20 years.  His insight and compassion for his fellow service members and their rights drive the conversation to places we weren’t expecting.  Enjoy the interview and please let me know if you have a question f...

“Once in a while you get shown the light, in the strangest of places if you look at it right.” Robert Hunter/Jerry Garcia Episode 5 starts off right after I promoted to Chief Warrant Officer (CWO) in June of 2016. I was at a pivotal moment in my career and was headed to CWO Professional Development Course in New London, CT to assimilate into the fold as a newly minted CWO. Expecting little and dem...

Welcome back to the podcast for our very first interview. Shannon Norenberg is the Sexual Assault Response Coordinator for the Coast Guard Academy in New London, CT. She is a true champion for sexual assault survivors and fights tirelessly for victim's rights in the military. In this interview we discuss the military's dark past with sexual assault, where we stand now, and a way forward. Please se...

"You don't drown by falling in the water; you drown by staying there." Edwin Cole This episode delves right in to my life after the assault. For the next 12 years I was lost. I buried the trauma deep inside and truly believed that it never happened. I eventually got married, had a son, moved up in rank and position, and did very well in the Coast Guard. All of this was accomplished w...

***Trigger warning - this episode contains a detailed account of traumatic events and explicit language*** "To experience real agony is something hard to write about, impossible to understand while it grips you; you're frightened out of your wits, can't sit still, move, or even go decently insane." Charles Bukowski The details surrounding my assault are an ether in my mind. I spent years trying to...

***This episode contains explicit language*** “You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here.  And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.” Max Ehrmann, Desiderata: A Poem for a Way of Life Episode two starts off with my introduction to the Coast Guard and, simultaneously, the harsh realities of milita...

“Anything that’s human is mentionable, and anything that is mentionable can be more manageable. When we can talk about our feelings, they become less overwhelming, less upsetting, and less scary. The people we trust with that important talk can help us know that we are not alone.” Fred Rogers. In this episode I will discuss how and why I joined the Coast Guard. As a young man I was searching for p...

Military Sexual Assault (MSA) is a prevalent problem within all branches of the military.  Our soldiers, sailors, and airmen are at risk of sexual assault and harassment while defending our nation.  This podcast is a safe space for MSA survivors, military members, and others to share their stories, form a community, gather resources, and understand this devastating issue. Theme music by David Brow...