The following is an opinion piece by Boatswain’s Mate 1st Class Sam Ojeda, USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70) Deck Department

It’s no secret that human sex trafficking is a huge problem worldwide. In fact, it’s such a problem that those of us in the military are required to take regular training on the topic, so that we know how to be vigilant about any shady encounters with potentially-trafficked women while we’re deployed overseas.

But I don’t think sitting down at a computer every year and looking at a bunch of slides does enough to push back against a multibillion dollar criminal industry that affects countless victims worldwide. And that’s why I always do my part to fight human sex trafficking by giving whatever hooker I end up with for the night a DVD on learning karate.

It’s high time we empower these women with the ability to fight back against their oppressors.