A freshman senator revealed Wednesday that she almost quit the Air Force after she was sexually assaulted.
Martha McSally, an Arizona Republican, called herself a "military sexual assault survivor" during a Senate Armed Services subcommittee hearing aiming to provide better support to victims.
"Like so many women and men, I didn't trust the system at the time," McSally, who served in the Air Force from 1988 to 2010, said during the hearing.
"I blamed myself. I was ashamed and confused. I thought I was strong but felt powerless. The perpetrators abused their position of power in profound ways. In one case I was preyed upon and raped by a superior officer."
McSally, 52, said her experience eventually led her to want to help others avoid the same "wholly inadequate responses" with which she was presented.
"I was horrified at how my attempt to share generally my experiences was handled," she said.
"I almost separated from the Air Force at 18 years of service over my despair. Like many victims, I felt like the system was raping me all over again."
Before retiring as a colonel, McSally became the first American woman to fly in combat.
Last year, she told The Wall Street Journal that she had been sexually abused by her high school track coach.
