by Anne Keller
Anne Keller is an intern at Text Power Telling. She is a sophomore at The University of Delaware with intentions to pursue a medical track post-grad. Anne is a passionate advocate for the safety and rights of women.
An Interview with Rachelle Smith, The Founder of The Silenced Voices of MST
The Silenced Voices of MST is a podcast created to help and support survivors of military sexual trauma. Rachelle Smith, MST survivor and podcast founder and host, was inspired to create change while watching the documentary The Invisible War during active duty in the Air Force. Every April, Sexual Assault Awareness Month, this documentary is shown to soldiers and tells the stories of MST survivors. After viewing this for the first time Rachelle was moved, she wished that everyone could watch it. But the documentary was shown year after year, and she noticed the initial impact had worn off. She knew more needed to be done to spread awareness and expose sexual crimes in the military and ultimately decided to create her own platform for survivors to continuously share their stories. This way “week after week after week hearing another story” survivors felt less alone. Rotating new guests allowed listeners to better understand the impact of MST, and survivors are able to feel heard and supported.
The Journey to Providing Support
After nine years of treatment resistant anxiety, depression and PTSD, Rachelle began to heal, and reflected “if they [other survivors] have gone through trauma they need to know it’s possible to feel like this again.” She began to wonder how to create a community of survivors and allies, so she could share her journey and help others heal. After listening to a podcast about her favorite show, she recognized they had a built-in audience of listeners and found inspiration within this fact. She realized she had an established audience of fellow soldiers and veterans, and she knew her goal of creating a podcast for MST survivors was possible. Her final push came from scrolling online and finding a Reddit page with a young girl asking if she should join the military. The comments were flooded with survivors' stories, and she thought “all of these stories need to come out.” Rachelle lined up guests ensuring that her interviews spanned gender, race, age and rank to show that it can happen to anyone, “It’s really striking when there’s no denying it, these stories come from all over the United States.” The podcast allows for survivors of all backgrounds and from all arms of the US military to share their stories of MST, which supports and validates survivors and lets them know they are not alone.
Healing Through Helping
Rachelle shares that though she used to be triggered by seemingly small things daily, implementing medication and coping mechanisms into her daily routine has helped her to handle possible triggers while talking with guests. She remembers that it isn’t about her, instead she focuses on helping other people and reminding them of the possibility of getting to a place where they can share their story. Guests have complete control over their interviews and how they wish to tell their story; Rachelle says she follows their lead whether that be crying together or joining them laughing. “I try to be the person who I needed when I was going through all of that, for each of the guests,” she shares with me, “that means molding it to what that person needs, maybe some people need a little bit of encouragement or cheering on that they’re doing something like this, other people just need a listen, some people really need the validation that . . . you’re here now and I hear your pain and I definitely understand what you're going through, and every feeling that you have about it is valid.” She mentions that there is no perfect way to heal, going on to say it has been a very cathartic experience for her to be in this safe space and learn different coping mechanisms, and that she has found it can even help her cope with the trauma that she experienced.
The Unique Challenges of MST and Necessary Prevention
The phrase “military culture” is a term that is commonly heard of but significantly less understood. The root of this culture has strict rules and underlying expectations for how members should act. “There is a lot of archaic belief systems in the military,” Rachelle notes, including themes of misogyny and toxic masculinity that contribute to victim blaming and uphold the predator and suppress the victim. With this, Rachelle continues, “It is basically the perfect petri-dish inside the military for stuff like this to occur,” no one wants to make waves, and no one wants to be brushed off. Although there is progress being made, there needs to be a change of mindset, losing the “rub some dirt in it” ideology when people come forward about their experiences.
Rachelle spent her childhood moving throughout the United States and Europe while her mother was in the Air Force, so from a young age she had an understanding of the inner workings of the military. One of the most prominent rules was not to step on the grass, “One of the first things you learn is don’t step on the grass… they instill that in you from day one.” She discusses the fear she felt even as a child knowing this rule, and wonders now why they can’t instill a rule with such fear surrounding it to protect against MST. This along with accountability are the main ways the military can step up and help to end MST. Instead of instilling fear of making waves, they need to create a system where predators are kicked out instead of let off, with ideas being forced into predators' minds instead of placing blame on the survivor.
Rachelle’s Current Goals to Help with Others Healing
Alongside the podcast, Rachelle also founded a Facebook support group, “The Advocates of MST,” which creates a community of survivors, friends, family, experts and supporters. She hopes that this group will provide support for those in need, having many people able to assist in others' healing, acting as a “sponsor” or “buddy.” Those who need help will have a large community to contact at the rough points of healing. Being part of the group eliminates the feeling of burdening those around you – a common feeling for survivors, especially those with depression and anxiety. The overall goal is to encourage empowerment and support for those who need a helping hand, at any time of day or in any situation.
She is also interested in, at some point, creating a live streaming event to answer questions for people interested in enlisting in the military. She acknowledges that many people are unaware of the lesser known dangers of entering the force, wanting to share advice, such as “be very mindful of who you spend your time around and always observe people's behavior,” also to “trust your gut, if something makes you feel uncomfortable or scared… tell somebody you’ve come to trust.”
Rachelle’s current podcast and Facebook group provide a community for survivors and advocates to come together and help spread awareness of MST and ultimately create change within the military. Her mission is to make people feel less alone, and let them know it will get better. Encouraging activities to heal your inner child, she emphasizes the need to “cultivate that love and attention within yourself first,” and how much of a positive impact this has on healing. She recommends if you are ever placed in an uncomfortable situation, once you notice it, to begin documenting everything, and most importantly don’t be afraid to ask for help.
Rachelle Smith's life has been marked by a profound commitment to service, resilience, and advocacy. Raised as an Air Force brat, she graduated from Ramstein High School in 2007 before pursuing a degree in Communications with a focus on Public Relations at the University of Texas at San Antonio, where she graduated in 2012. That same year, she was commissioned into the US Air Force as a Public Affairs Officer, marking the beginning of her military career. During her service, Rachelle played a significant role in handling matters of national importance, including her involvement in the aftermath of the Shell 77 crash in 2013. Her work extended beyond the headlines, with her efforts in showcasing the KC-135 mission through a media embed in Manas, Kyrgyzstan, and as the lead Public Affairs contact for the SkyFest 2014 airshow. In 2014, Rachelle transitioned to Air Force Special Operations Command at Hurlburt Field, FL, where she continued to serve until receiving a medical retirement under honorable discharge in 2015. Since her military service, Rachelle has channeled her energy into writing, producing numerous journals and books. She has spent time as a Relationship Coach, sharing lessons and wisdom learned from being a survivor of both domestic violence and Military Sexual Trauma, as working various Communications jobs around the world. She is currently hosting Silenced Voices - Stories of MST in Orlando, FL. With her deep understanding of critical issues like mental health, trauma, gender, sexuality, and race, Rachelle is driven by a passionate commitment to education and change. Her life's journey reflects the profound resilience and dedication she brings to her advocacy work. Rachelle Smith's story is a testament to the strength of the human spirit and the importance of raising awareness about critical issues. Her ongoing dedication to education and change continues to inspire others to join in creating a more inclusive and supportive society.