If you drive past the Reno VA hospital this week, you might notice hundreds of little teal flags outside.
The flags are meant to represent the number of veterans who have reported a sexual trauma at the Reno VA since 2005. There are 961 flags out there now, and experts say that's really just a small representation of the true number of victims, since many military members don't report their sexual traumas.
"I think it's a significant problem," VA Military Sexual Trauma Coordinator Monique Foreman said. "Because of the parameters behind a sexual trauma, it makes it very hard for an individual to want to report it to their superiors."
The VA is reaching out to military members and veterans asking them to go check out the resources available to help, even if it's been a long time since the trauma.
"Please come in," Foreman said. "You're not alone, and we have people here to support you in many ways. I really encourage you to do so, and if there's any way that we can help relieve some of that burden for you, we are definitely here to do that."
Foreman said medical and psychiatric care are both free for vets dealing with a sexual trauma.
