Lackland Air Force Base Rape Victim Breaks Her Silence

Watch Virginia Messick's account of how she was raped by her instructor at the age of 19 years old, in basic training at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas.

Messick went on the record Tuesday for MSNBC's PoliticsNation to describe how this instructor, Staff Sgt. Luis Walker, seemed to be her friend – but then, abusing his rank and power as an instructor, asked her to meet him at a dormitory, pulled her into the room and raped her.

The MSNBC report cites a Pentagon survey showing that, of 3,192 reports of sexual assaults in the military in 2011, only 240 went to trial. The report also suggests the crime is seriously underreported and that the number of assaults could be closer to 20,000.

Messick did not report her attack until she learned that a friend had also been assaulted by Walker. MSNBC reports Messick's attacker is serving a 20-year sentence on rape and assault charges.