Military Sexual Trauma Survivor Heath Phillips Speaks at Nazareth College, Nov. 14

Phillips speaks following a screeening of Oscar-nominated film "The Invisible War"

by Julie Long

Rochester, NY (10/24/2018) — Heath Phillips joined the U.S. Navy when he was 17 years old, but his dream of serving his country turned into a nightmare. He's sharing his powerful story as a sexual assault survivor in the military. The Nazareth College Veteran Community and Title IX office are hosting Phillips' talk along with a screening of The Invisible War from Oscar®- and Emmy®-nominated director Kirby Dick and Emmy®-nominated producer Amy Ziering. The talk and film screening are Wednesday, Nov. 14, at 5:30 p.m., in the Shults Center Forum. The Invisible War investigates first-hand, sexual assault within the United States military by examining stories of victims and the struggles they faced both during and following their military service. Phillips will speak following the film viewing, and then he'll be joined by other panelists from our local community who are working to support victims of sexual assault. Nazareth is located at 4245 East Avenue, Rochester, N.Y., 14618. For more information, email Chad VanGorder in Veterans Affairs at cvangor0@naz.edu.

Phillips always wanted to carry on the family tradition of serving in the U.S military. His father and stepfather served in the Army, and his uncles served in Vietnam. One week after his 17th birthday, Phillips was stationed at boot camp down in Orlando, Fla. Boot camp was everything Phillips had expected and a dream come true. Upon graduation, he was stationed in Meridian, Mississippi, and went on the become a ship serviceman. Optimistic and excited about his first placement, Phillips was not prepared for what would come next. To learn more about Heath Phillips's story, join us at the Invisible War screening on November 14.

The Invisible War (2012) is a groundbreaking investigative documentary about one of America's most shameful and best kept secrets: the epidemic of rape within the U.S. military. The film, a nominee for the 2013 Academy Awards, paints a startling picture of the extent of the problem: Today, a female soldier in combat zones is more likely to be raped by a fellow soldier than killed by enemy fire. The Department of Defense estimates there were a staggering 22,800 violent sex crimes in the military in 2011. Among all active-duty female soldiers, 20 percent are sexually assaulted. Female soldiers age 18 to 21 accounted for more than half of the victims.

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