Retired Major General Marcia Anderson is seen at Beloit City Hall in this file photo. She was speaking to veterans at an event in Beloit. Anderson currently serves on the Department of Defense’s Advisory Committee on the Investigation, Prosecution and Defense of Sexual Assault cases in the military.
Imbuing the spark of life with a bottle of spirits, USS Beloit (LCS 29) ship sponsor, Maj. Gen. Marcia Anderson, shatters the ceremonial champagne bottle against the bow of the ship during Saturday’s christening of the new US Naval vessel.
U.S. Army Major General Marcia Anderson, who grew up in Beloit, holds the crest of the USS Beloit. The crest was unveiled during a celebration of the naval ship at ABC Supply Stadium.
Retired Major General Marcia Anderson is seen at Beloit City Hall in this file photo. She was speaking to veterans at an event in Beloit. Anderson currently serves on the Department of Defense’s Advisory Committee on the Investigation, Prosecution and Defense of Sexual Assault cases in the military.
Imbuing the spark of life with a bottle of spirits, USS Beloit (LCS 29) ship sponsor, Maj. Gen. Marcia Anderson, shatters the ceremonial champagne bottle against the bow of the ship during Saturday’s christening of the new US Naval vessel.
U.S. Army Major General Marcia Anderson, who grew up in Beloit, holds the crest of the USS Beloit. The crest was unveiled during a celebration of the naval ship at ABC Supply Stadium.
BELOIT- Retired Maj. Gen. Marcia Anderson has worked with many people in her 36 years in the military and several of those people were dealing with sexual assault and harassment and mental health issues.
Now, the Beloit native is seeking to make a difference by being an advocate for suicide prevention, better mental health services and more awareness about about sexual harassment in the military.
Anderson spent a good share of her childhood in Beloit, attending Merrill Elementary School in Beloit as a child. She often returned to Beloit to see family and friends.
Anderson, who became the first African-American woman to be promoted to the rank of Major General in the U.S. Army Reserve in 2011, currently is a member of the Department of Defense’s Advisory Committee on the Investigation, Prosecution and Defense of Sexual Assault in the Armed Forces.
“I personally don’t know someone whose committed suicide, but I have a real space in my heart for people struggling with mental illness because I’ve had members of my family with the same challenges,” Anderson said. “It’s really difficult for people in the military because we have what I’ll just call that warrior ethos.”
Anderson adds that the army has been focusing on getting people to understand that getting help for mental health issues is not a sign of weakness, but actually a sign of strength. She said she wants those in the army to be good soldiers, but also healthy people.
“I would certainly say, if you join this organization, we’re going to take care of you,” she said. “Because we value you as a person. There’s so many resources available both in and out of the military for those who are currently serving.”
On the subject of sexual harassment and assault in the armed services, Anderson said the army has been working hard to find programs that address these issues.
“We were working hard (in the last few years of her service) to make sure that the leadership of any of those teams within our organization were aware of their roles and created a culture, an environment that was accepting of victims, and also did what was necessary to protect the rights of the accused,” she said.
Anderson said that the army has improved its processes for people to report sexual assaults and/or harassment and provide victims with a support systems like counseling. They’ve also provided opportunities for victims of assault or harassment to be moved to a different location from the accused offenders.
“I actually did encounter this in my time as a leader in the army,” she said. “Being a woman, I certainly was pretty passionate about this issue. I understood how young, female soldiers could be vulnerable especially when they’re away from home and they feel isolated. I really was hard on this when I heard about it.”
She adds that during her time in service, she made sure she provided training opportunities for soldiers to make sure they understood the importance of the issue and how Anderson has a zero policy for this behavior.
Anderson said in her 36 years of service, she felt her time was important. She recognizes that family members and potential military recruits recognize a culture change from civilian life to a military life.
“As I said, there’s a lot of resources and people supporting everybody along their journey,” she said. “I just think it’s an environment that is beneficial to young people even if they only serve for three or four years. They get an opportunity to grow in a lot of ways.”
