At 8 a.m. on Sunday, July 22, Report from Santa Fe will air on PBS Channel 5.1.

THIS  WEEK:  COLONEL ANN WRIGHT, U.S. Army /  U.S. State Department, Retired

• Awarded: State Department Award for Heroism, 1997
• Author: “Dissent: Voices of Conscience, Government Insiders Speak Out Against the War in Iraq”
• Helped Oversee The Reopening of the U.S. Mission in Afghanistan in 2001
• Feels The Biggest Military Cover-Up In U.S. History is The Abuse of Women Soldiers

“A woman who signs up to protect her country is more likely to be raped by a fellow soldier than killed by enemy fire,” said former California Democratic Rep. Jane Harman, in Testimony Before a July 2008 House Panel Investigating the Military’s Handling of Sexual Assault Reports,

Wright served in the Army for 29 years, and a retired official of the U.S. State Department, known for her outspoken opposition to the Iraq War. She received the State Department Award for Heroism in 1997, after helping to evacuate several thousand people during the civil war in Sierra Leone. In another part of her diplomatic career, she helped oversee the reopening of the US Mission in Afghanistan in 2001. She has a Masters Degree in National Security Affairs from the Naval War College.

Wright is the author of“Dissent: Voices of Conscience, Government Insiders Speak Out Against the War in Iraq,” which includes a forward by longtime anti-war activist Daniel Ells berg, who leaked the top-secret Pentagon Papers in 1971.

Having taught the Geneva Conventions at Ft. Bragg for years, Wright discusses the Bradley Manning case and the conditions of his detainment. She explores the results of citizen activism against the military’s use of drones overseas and at home.Colonel Wright encourages her fellow citizens to find the courage of their convictions and take action against wrongdoing when they see it.

Wright discusses what she feels is the biggest military cover-up in U.S. History – the abuse of women soldiers.She reveals that one in three women who have been in our military have been sexually assaulted or raped during the time that they have been in the military service. Wright also explores the tragedy of the increases in soldier suicides.

Hosted by veteran journalist and interviewer, Lorene Mills, REPORT FROM SANTA FE brings the very best of the esteemed, beloved, controversial, famous and emergent minds and voices of the day to a weekly audience that spans the state of New Mexico and has  served as a window on what makes Santa Fe and the State of New Mexico truly unique.

During nearly 40 years on the air, Lorene Mills and REPORT FROM SANTA FE have given viewers a unique opportunity to become part of a series of remarkable conversations – always thoughtful and engaging, often surprising – held in a warm and civil atmosphere.

Gifted with a quiet intelligence and genuine grace, Lorene Mills draws guests as diverse as Valerie Plame, Alan Arkin, Jane Goodall, Gore Vidal, Isabel Allende, and Stewart Udall along with a who’s who of New Mexico politics, into easy and open exchange, with plenty of room and welcome for wit, authenticity, and candor. Mills’ ability to elicit the true thoughts and nature of her guests is legendary.  Lorene Mills and REPORT FROM SANTA FE is committed to offering New Mexico viewers – and listeners – yet another decade of wonderfully unique voices and viewpoints. 

Report from Santa Fe airs on all three PBS stations across New Mexico. In the local area, it airs on KNME New Mexico PBS Channel 5.1 Santa Fe/Albuquerque at 8 a.m. on Sunday mornings. 

More information about future show lineups – and a sampling of past shows – can be found online at www.reportfromsantafe.com.