CONTENT WARNING:
This page contains elements of sexual assault. Reader discretion is advised.
Cambria Ferguson (TSgt, USAF) is a survivor of Military Sexual Trauma (MST), DoD Whistleblower and disabled veteran. Their activism sheds light on the abuse, corruption, reprisal, retaliation, sexual harassment and assault within the Public Affairs (PA) career field; 1st Combat Camera Squadron (1CTCS), Air Force Public Affairs Agency (AFPAA), Secretary of the Air Force for Public Affairs (SAF/PA), U.S. Air Force (USAF), Department of Defense (DoD).
- On Aug. 13, 2020, SMSgt Jeremy Zier was convicted of an Article 120 UCMJ violation (abusive sexual contact) for sexually assaulting Ferguson while assigned to Incirlik Air Base, Turkey.
- On Dec. 7, 2020, an Air Force discharge board allowed Zier to remain active duty as a registered sex offender and in the survivor(s) chain-of-command. Ferguson was denied authorization for a no-contact order and military protective order.
- On Mar. 24, 2021, Ferguson provided sworn testimony for the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) hearing on military justice reform, S.1520, sponsored by Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY).
- On May 11, 2021, Ferguson briefed 150 joint prosecutors on the legal deficits of military court martials during a Special Victims’ Council (SVC) training course.
- On Jul. 12, 2021, Ferguson filed a DoD Inspector General (IG) complaint against their commands for retaliation and reprisal.
- On Dec. 7, 2021, the House of Representatives passed the bipartisan FY22 NDAA, S. 1605, with bold military justice reforms to deliver accountability, independence and results for survivors in the armed forces.
- On Apr. 20, 2022, the 1CTCS commander was fired due to poor command climate.
- On Jul. 4, 2022, the Air Force strengthened its discharge policy involving sex crimes to prevent future retention of service members convicted of sexual assault and prohibit consideration of a member’s personal circumstances when determining a basis for a sexual assault discharge.
- To date, Secretary of the Air Force (SECAF) Frank Kendall has withheld Ferguson’s Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request for legal documents to appeal the government’s case, U.S. v Zier, for errors in the trial’s procedure – and to substantiate claims of defense perjury.
Citations
“SECAF Frank Kendall – you never had the courage to talk to me, but your bold-faced lie of ‘zero tolerance’ makes me sick,” Ferguson wrote on Facebook on Friday. “You just showed every predator in the DoD that it is honorable to sexually harass and assault Airmen.”
PUBLISHED BY DAVID ROZA | MAR 16, 2022
LGBTQ military service members at higher risk of sexual harassment, assault, stalking, Oregon State University, Apr. 21, 2020.
USAF sees highest number of sexual reports in 14 years, Air and Space Forces Magazine, Apr. 30, 2020.
A culture that fosters sexual assaults and sexual harassment persists despite prevention efforts, a new Pentagon study shows, Military Times, Apr. 30, 2020.
Demanding positive change, Air Force Times, Sep. 4, 2020.
Humor is often the disguise for the military’s online sexual harassment problem, Penn State, Oct. 13, 2020.
Latina soldier says she was abused in the Army shortly before Vanessa Guillén: now pressure is increasing for Congress to act, Univision News, Jan. 24, 2021.
How a viral video could force a cultural reckoning in the Marine Corps, Task and Purpose, Feb. 20, 2021.
Immediate Actions to Counter Sexual Assault and Harassment and the Establishment of a 90-Day Independent Review Commission on Sexual Assault in the Military, U.S. Department of Defense, Feb. 26, 2021.
Independent Review Commission on Sexual Assault in the Military Structure and Membership, U.S. Department of Defense, Mar. 24, 2021.
Presidential Proclamation: National Sexual Assault Prevention and Awareness Month, U.S. Department of Defense, Mar. 31, 2021.
Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III Statement on the Conclusion of Independent Review Commission, U.S. Department of Defense, Jun. 22, 2021.
Fact Sheet: United States to Announce Commitments to the Generation Equality Forum, U.S. Department of Defense, Jul. 1, 2021.
DOD Actions and Implementation to Address Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment in the Military, U.S. Department of Defense, Jul. 2, 2021.
Recommendations From the Independent Review Commission on Sexual Assault in the Military, U.S. Department of Defense, Jul. 2, 2021.
Independent Review Commission Recommendations on Countering Sexual Assault in the Military, U.S. Department of Defense, Jul. 2, 2021.
Commencing Department of Defense Actions and Implementation to Address Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment in the Military. Independent Review Commission Recommendation-Implementation Roadmap, U.S. Department of Defense, Sep. 22, 2021.
“Reporting a predator does not ruin their lives, it seeks justice for the lives of victims. Reporting a predator does not damage their reputation, it makes it more accurate. Reporting a predator does not harm their family, it arms them with the truth. Reporting a predator aligns our core values in the United States Air Force of always having ‘Integrity First.’ I never wanted to be sitting in that chair, I never wanted this to be part of my story and I never wanted this to be the reality of our military.”
STAFF SGT. CAMBRIA FERGUSON | AUG 14, 2021
Victim Impact Statement, U.S. v Zier, Aug. 14, 2021.
The Air Force preaches ‘zero tolerance’ of sexual assault. So why is it retaining an airman guilty of it?, Task and Purpose, Mar. 2, 2021.
Air Force panel: Senior master sergeant convicted of sex crime should stay in the service, San Antonio News Express, Mar. 22, 2021.
S.1605 – National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022, Congress.gov, May 13, 2021.
Independent Review Commission Recommendations on Countering Sexual Assault in the Military, U.S. Department of Defense, Jul. 2, 2021.
Statement of President Joe Biden on the Results of the Independent Review Commission on Military Sexual Assault, The White House, Jul. 2, 2021.
FY22 NDAA Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) Reforms Receive High Praise from Advocates, House Armed Services Committee, Dec. 10, 2021.
I Am Vanessa Guillén Act brings ‘historic’ military reform as calls for justice persist, NBC News, Jan. 21, 2022.
“Brig. Gen. Caroline Miller sent the case on to Kendall to review and potentially reverse that outcome (retention). Zier then asked to retire instead of being discharged, complaining that the U.S. Air Force was trying to push him out without a pension.”
PUBLISHED BY RACHEL S. COHEN | MAR 9, 2022
Senior NCO convicted of sex crime will be allowed to retire at a lower rank, Air Force Times, Mar. 9, 2022.
“It’s not just a sexual assault. It’s the continued failure of military leadership to have integrity with their own people about what they will tolerate.”
PUBLISHED BY KATIE CAVINESS | MAR 11, 2022
Air Force allows sex offender to keep serving in military, retire with full benefits, The National Desk, Mar. 11, 2022.
‘We are disposable’ – Sexual assault survivor blasts Air Force after convicted offender allowed to retire, Task and Purpose, Mar. 16, 2022.
“Public Affairs never does the right thing when no one’s looking. They only ‘enforce’ the minimum when public uproar forces their hand.”
CAMBRIA FERGUSON (TSGT, USAF VETERAN) | APR 20, 2022
Air Force fires 1st Combat Camera Squadron commander due to poor command climate, Stars and Stripes, Apr. 20, 2022.
A historic court-martial ends with the first conviction of an Air Force general, NPR, Apr. 24, 2022.
Out of the ugliness of online harassment, a few beautiful things popped up, Federal News Network, May 16, 2022.
Sweeping Military Justice Reforms Get New Life in Annual Defense Bill, Military.com, Jun. 17, 2022.
Another airman has gone public on social media with sexual assault allegations, Task and Purpose, Jun. 20, 2022.
New rules make it easier to kick out airmen, guardians guilty of sexual assault, Air Force Times, Jun. 20, 2022.
“A film on #militarysexualviolence that follows the story of Karina Lopez & other survivors in their fight to change the system that silenced them.”
ANDREA PATIÑO C. | JULY 11, 2022
IAmVanessaGuillen documentary explores the culture of toxicity at Fort Hood, NPR, Jul. 12, 2022.
Secretary of defense names military officer as Pentagon Press Secretary, CNN, Aug. 4, 2022.
Military sexual assault survivors should be able to sue for damages, judges rule, Military Times, Aug. 11, 2022.
Army colonel can sue federal government for alleged sexual assault by former Air Force general, Stars and Stripes, Aug. 11, 2022.
Military sexual assault survivors battle the Feres Doctrine, SC Times, Aug. 28, 2022.
Female troops saw the highest level of unwanted sexual contact since Pentagon began collecting data, USA Today, Aug. 31, 2022.
2022 SAPR Report Reveals Highest Reported Estimate of Sexual Harassment and Assault in Military History, Protect Our Defenders, Aug. 31, 2022.
“It’s a cruel expectation that survivors not only experience the initial trauma of sexual assault and court martial, but subsequently endure harmful revictimization in the activism arena. We deserve more than the military’s crumbs of ‘justice’ that’s had decades of opportunity to change. We must resist the complicit dehumanization of survivors in the DoD.”
CAMBRIA FERGUSON (TSGT, USAF VETERAN) | OCT 31, 2022
Military Sexual Assault Fact Sheet, Protect our Defenders, Sep. 2022.
DOD Takes Proactive Measures as Sexual Assault Annual Report Numbers Released, U.S. Department of Defense, Sep. 2, 2022.
Biden signs bill eliminating civil statute of limitations for child sex abuse victims, The Hill, Sep. 17, 2022.
DOD, Services Moving Ahead on Recommendations to Combat Sexual Assault, U.S. Department of Defense, Sep. 22, 2022.
Cambria Nesryn 