Military Sexual Trauma at Her First Duty Station: Lakeydra Houston (Part 1)
U.S. Air Force veteran Lakeydra Houston shares her story of Military Sexual Trauma at her first duty station, coping with alcohol, and mental health struggles.
U.S. Air Force veteran Lakeydra Houston shares her story of Military Sexual Trauma at her first duty station, where harassment escalated into assault. She explains how alcohol became a way to cope, how mental health struggles were ignored, and why survivor support is urgently needed.
U.S. Air Force veteran Lakeydra Houston shares her story of Military Sexual Trauma at her first duty station on The Silenced Voices of MST with Rachelle Smith.
Intro
U.S. Air Force veteran Lakeydra Houston shares how Military Sexual Trauma shaped her earliest years in service. After completing training and arriving at her first duty station, she faced harassment that escalated into assault. With few resources and no support, she turned to alcohol to cope. Her story reveals how retaliation, silence, and a lack of mental health care left survivors unprotected in the Air Force.
This is Part 1 of Lakeydra’s story. Read Part 2 here: www.silencedvoicesmst.com/blog/military-sexual-trauma-lakeydra-houston-part2
Episode Summary
She was reporting in, doing exactly what every new Airman does when they arrive at their first assignment. Lakeydra Houston recalls being groped by a first sergeant under the pretense of fixing her uniform. When she fled, another airman warned her not to report him because she had tried and was being discharged for it.
The men in her unit already knew the sergeant’s reputation. They laughed about it. Lakeydra was silenced, shamed, and pushed toward alcohol as her only way to cope. Surrounded by a toxic drinking culture and carrying a weapon every day, she unraveled emotionally while no one noticed and no one intervened.
The spiral deepened as Lakeydra entered a volatile relationship, became pregnant, and was deployed just six weeks after giving birth. She was neither physically nor emotionally ready. While serving in Dubai, harassment and violence continued. Some perpetrators were officers. Others were peers too scared or ashamed to report. Alcohol fueled the cycle until it was finally cut off, but by then the damage had spread. When Lakeydra received a call that her husband had been shot, she felt safer remaining overseas than returning home to a man she could not trust.
Pin this story to help amplify Lakeydra’s voice and story for survivors!
Her story exposes how toxic command climates and male-dominated cultures allow repeat offenders to thrive while silencing survivors. Systemic betrayal compounds personal trauma, trapping service members in a loop of silence, retaliation, and self-destruction.
“Going to the military was my way to start over and feel like I had a purpose in life.”
- Lakeydra
Click here to explore more survivor stories
If you’re still wondering if your pain “counts” or if you’re the only one, you’re not. Lakeydra hopes her courage helps other survivors understand they’re not alone, and that they can get out of the loop that they’re stuck in with support and help from advocates, trustworthy leadership, and mental health treatment and services.
Episode Trigger Warnings and Timestamps
01:36: Childhood sexual assault and drug use for coping
03:30–04:56: Discussion of September 11
07:36: Loss of sister
09:07: Loss of parent to gun violence
09:49–10:59: Harassment and sexual assault in technical school
11:26–22:39: Multiple assaults, childhood trauma, predatory leadership, peer complicity, self-blame, alcohol abuse, domestic violence, pregnancy, suicide, deployment after childbirth, family trauma cycles
23:02–29:11: Assaults on deployment tied to alcohol and abuse of power, reporting barriers due to rank, domestic violence, financial abuse, betrayal by spouse, ongoing trauma
Resources from This Episode
Free VA Disability Toolkit: https://www.silencedvoicesmst.com/disability-toolkit
Join our Facebook community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/theadvocatesofmst
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Listen to the Full Conversation
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If this episode was meaningful to you, please leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Reviews help more people discover stories of Military Sexual Trauma and join the movement for change.
Next Episode
Click here to read and watch Part 2 of Lakeydra’s story, where she discusses Military Sexual Trauma in Korea, the role of alcohol culture, trafficking inside the ranks, and her advocacy for survivors.
Support and Community
Veterans Crisis line: Dial 988, the press 1
DoD Safe Helpline: https://www.sapr.mil/dod-safe-helpline
About the Guest
Lakeydra Houston is a U.S. Air Force veteran, survivor of Military Sexual Trauma, and advocate for reform. She found the organization KeyFit and also works with The Pink Berets to support survivors and promote systemic change.
Internal Links
You are not alone. We believe you. You matter.
The Best Advice I Can Give For Surviving MST (MSTy’s Story | Part 3)
MSTy, an anonymous Marine Corps veteran, shares the second stage of struggles with mental health, learning about MST, and developing a tool to help survivors come forward and establish patterns of predatory behavior. This episode demonstrates the power of only one person saying, “No more!” and rallying more to stand with them against military sexual trauma and the military’s diligence in sweeping cases under the rug. Read the full story and access helpful resources.
How MSTy found peace in learning and embracing the positive relationships in her life after MST — her words of wisdom and advice for you.
In the final part of her story, MSTy’s insights about how trauma shaped her daily life over time—and how choosing joy every day, gratitude for close relationships and love, and continuously being inspired by books serve as inspiration for listeners and viewers.
Accountability Through Reported Patterns of Predatory Behavior
Parts 1 and 2 of MSTy’s story grimly reminded us of the harshest realities of MST. The pain and confusion of being in a new environment after being traumatized by people who seemed trustworthy and the harassment that followed. Sadly, that part was identical to every story shared on the podcast. Through the pain and beginning to heal, MSTy was able to create a digital crime map of MST, to begin the arduous process of unmasking hidden predators throughout our military’s history. She found a way for survivors to process and give a name and space to their pain even if they weren’t able to speak it aloud.
In Part 3 of her story, MSTy shares the quieter, more reflective side of surviving military sexual trauma: the everyday and long-term battles of healing, the ways she found comfort, and the choices she continues to make—every single day—to stay grounded and whole.
I don’t know who needs to hear this but…
We dive into the things most survivors don’t always talk about out loud: the long-term physical toll of trauma, how hard it is to “just be present” for the people you love, and the guilt that comes with realizing how much of your life has been lived in survival mode. MSTy talks about the books, the dogs, the positive memes—yes, even the ones that start with “I don’t know who needs to hear this…”—that kept her going when there weren’t any other tools.
This part of her story is not about the worst of what happened. It’s about the slow, stubborn, defiant act of healing anyway.
The People Who Stayed
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As she reflects on the decades she spent “winging it” before finding solace and education in therapy, books, and online communities, MSTy describes how her life improved because of the people who helped her see herself differently: a best friend in the military, a civilian coworker who never got tired of listening, and a husband who tells her, “I ain’t scared,” every time she worries she’s too much.
In the face of a culture that told her to be silent, their love was a was a mirror and a soft place to reaffirm herself when times got difficult to manage.
Make Time for Healing Today
This episode closes with the kind of wisdom you can only get from someone who’s lived through the long haul of unresolved trauma. MSTy shares the physical effects—tight muscles, inflammation, cognitive struggles—and the regret of waiting so long to start healing and how it impacted her relationships and bonds with her children.
Whether you’re just beginning or decades into this journey, her voice reminds us that healing can start at any moment—and you don’t have to be alone when it does.
“Make time for it today.” - MSTy
Click here to explore more survivor stories
MSTy’s final chapter isn’t about how the story ends—it’s about how survivors live through the in-between. She’s not here to be inspirational or dramatic. She’s here to be real. Her honesty about everyday coping tools and the physical price of trauma is a gift, especially for those who are just now starting to name their pain.
She wants listeners to know: you are not broken. And you’re not too late.
Links From This Episode:
This episode contains a few references to news articles and books that are listed below:
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Episode Trigger Warning Index
This episode contains references to the following topics. Please use this guide to skip if needed:
(00:14 - 00:31) On-screen details of MST markers
(01:26 - 01:33) Mentions of mental health conditions like dissociation and panic attacks
(11:25 - 14:22) Discussion of long-term physical toll, regrets about not being emotionally present
Takeaways from This Conversation
Every marker matters in the healing journey.
Books and pets can be powerful coping mechanisms.
Gratitude and positivity are essential for mental health.
Finding supportive communities is crucial for healing.
It's important to prioritize emotional wellness.
Trauma can have long-lasting physical and cognitive effects.
Starting the healing journey is possible with available resources.
Support from loved ones can make a significant difference.
Sharing experiences can help others feel seen and heard.
Your voice can drive change and accountability.
Reflection Journal Prompt
What did MSTy’s voice help you realize about your own?
Spend a few minutes after listening to reflect or journal. What did you feel during this episode? What are you still thinking about? What systems need to change — and what part could you play in that change?
Join the Conversation & Amplify Survivors
Want to talk through your experience? Or support someone else in theirs?
Join our private Facebook group: The Advocates of MST
Don’t forget. This conversation matters. And MSTy showed immense courage by telling her story. Please help us make sure her voice travels further: Leaving a written review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts helps elevate the visibility of the show for more survivors suffering in isolation and pain. A simple review can change another person’s life forever.
Leave a review on Apple Podcasts
Need Support?
Although this podcast is a great resource, it does not and should not replace care from a medical professional. If you’re in crisis or need someone to talk to:
Call the Veterans Crisis Line — 988, then press 1
Or go to the nearest emergency room.
You are not alone. We believe you. You matter.
The final part in MSTy’s three part series goes live Tuesday April 15, 2025.