The peer support honestly, that, I'd say, was the turning point for me.

The peer support honestly, that I'd say was the turning point

for me getting better, was, and it was mostly dudes,

mostly Iraq combat Vets.

And so you can say, how does a US Navy rape survivor bond

and heal with a bunch of bad ass Marine and Army combat Vets?

I don't know.

I can't tell you how it happened.

I think one of the things that helped was they validated me.

These people who had been shot at, who I respect so much,

were like, "Hey, you served our country too."

They gave me a hug.

They said that I was brave

for standing my ground, for coming forward.

And for me to hear that I was brave from a combat Veteran,

I can't tell you how much that helped.