Morgan Robinson’s story is one of profound heartbreak and tragedy, shedding light on the deeply troubling experiences she endured while serving her country. Morgan’s journey began with a dream, a calling to join the military, which she shared with her mother, Debbie Robinson, when she was 21. Determined to serve, she enlisted in the Army National Guard, fully aware of the challenges but ready to face them with courage. Yet the challenges she encountered went beyond the battlefield; they involved a betrayal of the trust she placed in her own comrades and the institution that was supposed to protect her.

After six years of service, Morgan was deployed for the first time to Kuwait in 2016. It was here that her ordeal began. According to her mother, Morgan was subjected to repeated sexual harassment and even sexual assault by a superior. Despite this traumatic experience, Morgan reported the abuse, hoping for justice or some form of intervention from the Army. However, her pleas for help were met with silence. The military, which she had joined out of a deep-seated commitment to her country, did nothing to protect her from further harm.

Morgan Robinson died by suicide after she was allegedly sexually assaulted a second time while serving in the military. https://t.co/dKLYWpvqev

— CBS Mornings (@CBSMornings) November 18, 2020

As part of the same deployment, Morgan was later sent to Afghanistan, where her suffering only deepened. During her time there, she was reportedly assaulted again, this time in a more horrific and violent way. According to her mother, a group of fellow soldiers allegedly attacked and assaulted her, leaving her feeling trapped and terrified. Morgan had already seen how the military handled her case in Kuwait, or rather, how it failed to handle it. This lack of action made her hesitant to report the second assault, fearing it would be dismissed just like the first.

Debbie Robinson, reflecting on her daughter’s state of mind, described her as fearful and emotionally wounded. The threats from her attackers and her growing sense of hopelessness led her to believe that any further attempts to seek justice would be futile. This belief wasn’t unfounded; the inaction in Kuwait had already shown her that her cries for help were likely to fall on deaf ears.

Morgan’s story reached its tragic conclusion in 2018. Four months after then-Secretary of Defense James Mattis publicly reinforced a zero-tolerance policy on sexual assault within the military, Morgan took her own life. For her mother, Debbie, this loss was devastating but, heartbreakingly, not entirely surprising. “It wasn’t a matter of ‘if,’” she said. “It was a matter of ‘when.’” Her words speak volumes about the anguish she felt watching her daughter suffer without the support she desperately needed.

In the aftermath of Morgan’s death, an investigation was initiated by the Army. Debbie was given a report, known as the AR 15-6 investigation, which documented the findings. However, to Debbie’s dismay, many of the pages in the report had been heavily redacted, making it nearly impossible for her to fully understand the details surrounding her daughter’s experiences and the Army’s handling of her case. She felt betrayed once again, realizing that even in seeking answers about her daughter’s death, she was met with a wall of secrecy.

Within the few pages she could read, Debbie discovered a haunting passage that acknowledged the trauma Morgan had endured. The report stated that “Sergeant Robinson suffered sexual, physical, and psychological trauma while deployed. The sequela of this trauma was a factor in her death.” This acknowledgment, while validating, only deepened Debbie’s grief and sense of injustice. She couldn’t shake the feeling that her daughter’s suffering was a direct consequence of the Army’s failure to protect and support her.

Debbie’s anguish over the Army’s response was palpable. In her view, the military had failed not only in preventing the assaults but also in holding those responsible accountable. “They can’t police their self,” she argued. “How can you investigate yourself? You can’t.” Her words highlight the painful conflict many victims and their families face when dealing with cases of assault within tightly structured organizations like the military, where internal investigations can sometimes fall short of delivering true accountability.

Approximately eight months after Morgan’s death, the Army issued a reprimand to the officer involved in her initial assault in Kuwait. For Debbie, this response was shockingly insufficient. She questioned what any parent in a position of authority would feel if such an atrocity happened to their own child. The reprimand, in her eyes, was a mere gesture that failed to address the gravity of what her daughter had endured. “If I was a commanding officer, and if I had kids, what would you think if that happened to your daughter, or your son?” she asked. Her words resonate as a call for empathy, justice, and, most importantly, change.

Debbie’s sorrow was compounded by a profound realization: the assaults had not only physically harmed her daughter but had also stripped her of her spirit, her sense of self. Reflecting on the toll the assaults had taken on Morgan, Debbie said, “They wanted her body. And they took her soul.” These words capture the unbearable grief of a mother who watched her daughter’s life unravel due to a lack of support and a system that seemed indifferent to her suffering.

Morgan Robinson’s story is a heartbreaking reminder of the urgent need for reforms in how the military handles cases of harassment and assault. No service member, regardless of rank or gender, should ever feel abandoned or helpless in the face of such trauma. The bravery that leads soldiers to serve their country deserves to be met with a commitment from the military to protect them in return. Morgan’s dream was to serve and protect; the least she deserved was the same protection from the institution she trusted.

For those who hear Morgan’s story, it is a call to recognize the sacrifices soldiers make and the respect they are owed, not only on the battlefield but within the ranks themselves. Morgan’s legacy is one of bravery, but also one of a system that failed her in a moment of need. In remembering her, we must also remember the importance of accountability and the need for systemic change, ensuring that no soldier endures what she went through.