Gaston Roberge

Gaston Roberge hails from a family with a long history of men and women who were of service in various branches of the military. Growing up, Mr. Roberge dreamed of a career in the United States Army.

Taking the necessary steps to make this dream a reality, Mr. Roberge entered the Army’s Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (JROTC), one of the largest character development and citizenship programs for youth in the world. As a young cadet in the JROTC, he was groomed and determined, out of love and respect for the Army, to make this his life long career.

Mr. Roberge proudly entered basic training in 1987. Unfortunately, shortly after taking this step to serve and protect our Nation, Mr. Roberge was brutally assaulted and victimized by fellow recruits who subjected him to a military sexual trauma (MST).Out of fear of retaliation, he did not immediately report the incident. A short time later, Mr. Roberge tried to take his own life. Determined to seek justice, he reported the incident to the Army Chaplain. However, rather than being helped, he was accused of lying, and denied any form of justice. Mr. Roberge was victimized, once again, when he was promptly issued an Entry Level Separation due to a “personality disorder” with no investigation, no medical exam, and no medical diagnosis from a doctor.

Unfortunately, events like what happened to him are all too common, and due to systemic failures, our Nation has been denied dedicated guardians and public servants like Mr. Roberge. His story reminds us about the great pain and suffering felt by veteran survivors of MST.

Mr. Roberge hopes his story will encourage others who have suffered a similar fate to begin their journey to healing. With the support from SAGEVets and the New York State Division of Veterans’ Services, Mr. Roberge gained new strength and was approved for veteran status. A true hero, he is currently working on his Restoration of Honor Application to upgrade his discharge with the Department of Defense.