The Pentagon found five years ago that the military had been deficient in protecting wives of abusive soldiers. The men in question were often let go with a slap on the wrist, if that, and sent back to the battlefield. Though the Department of Defense made some positive changes, like expanding victims’ services, many women still suffer at the hands of violent husbands – and their cries go unheard.

Adriana Renteria learned that lesson after her husband, Carlos, was arrested for his second domestic violence assault, but then released without any penalties. And, yes, he was sent back to Iraq. Renteria tried for months to get justice and wrote letters and e-mails and left messages with Army officials to help her case. None did. According to The New York Times, the soldier’s comrades at Kansas’s Fort Riley simply rallied around him:

Fort Riley quickly closed ranks around Sergeant Renteria. That became clear to Ms. Renteria after a brief conversation in August 2007 with an assistant at the inspector general’s office. “‘Honey, we are not going to bring a soldier back who beat on his wife a couple of times or because you feel things weren’t done correctly,’” Ms. Renteria said, recalling the conversation. “‘He is over there fighting for his life.’”

Though Renteria is now divorced and has yet to see her husband charged with his crimes against her, Renteria’s one of the lucky ones, as hard as that may be to believe. North Carolina’s Fort Bragg has seen three women killed over the past four months, one of whom was pregnant. The women’s boyfriends or husbands played a role in each death. The rise in violence — and the apparent disinterest from Army officials — has deterred many women from reporting abuse, lest they be ostracized or tarnish their lovers’ careers.

Most of the men eyed in domestic violence cases have been to Iraq and show symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder. Yet they continue to be sent abroad, where their fragile states can trigger disastrous attacks and murder among civilians and fellow soldiers.

In addition to risking life and limb, the men and women involved in the conflicts – both at home and abroad – are indicative of how far a once-admired Army has fallen. As one soldier remarked about Renteria’s case, “I’m angry. This is not my Army. This is not how we handle domestic violence cases.”