Got SAPR?

  • Published
  • By Capt. Richard Laca
  • 354th Fighter Wing Sexual Assault Response Coordinator
EIELSON AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska --  The Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Coordinator's office serves as the main point of contact for reporting, response, and victim advocacy at home station and at deployed locations.

The SARC office conducts awareness and prevention training for all military, civilian, and contractor personnel. The office also provides guidance on Air Force and Department of Defense sexual assault policies.

At the request of a sexual assault victim, the SARC can provide a victim advocate to aid in their recovery process. Victim advocates are considered the SARC's greatest asset, as well as, the victim's initial and continuing support representative. The SARC ensures the victim advocates are from different squadrons on base and represent both males and females along the spectrum of rank including DOD civilians.

Victim advocates can refer a victim to different supporting agencies, such as the chapel, mental health, or a health care professional. Eielson's victim advocates are trained to assist family or significant others who are affected by their loved one's experience. They will continue to help the victim as long as their support is required.

Active duty military members or civilian employees who may be interested in becoming a victim advocate, can contact their local SARC for more information.

The DOD Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office is the department's single point of authority for sexual assault policy and provide supervision to ensure that each service employs programs that comply with DOD policy.

SAPRO continues to lead the department's effort to transform its commitment to sexual assault prevention and response into action. This level of commitment is necessary and must be supported by leaders at all levels. Leaders are charged with creating a climate of confidence and trust where everyone is afforded respect and dignity.

Without a doubt, sexual assault is the most under reported crime in America today. The service branches are not impervious to the trend to include the Air Force.

The Air Force continues to strive to ensure our members are aware that sexual assault is a crime and is not tolerated.

To combat sexual assault, the Air Force is implementing the Sexual Assault Bystander Intervention Training Course. There will be three different modules to the course and they are targeted to leadership, males, and females. Each training course will be able to accommodate 25 personnel. The training credit for the course will be worth two years of SAPR training and requires 90 minutes to complete.
The course incorporates comprehensive ideas of how to prevent and respond to a potential sexual assault situation.

Since the beginning of the program, the Air Force has made great strides in the different reporting options including creating a climate of confidence in reporting. Active and retired military members, civilians, contractors, dependant spouses who do not fall under the intimate partner clause and family members 18 years old and above are eligible to report their sexual assault to the SARC.

There is no time span limiting the victim from reporting the sexual assault. It could have happened either two minutes or twenty years ago. Reporting is the critical first step to being offered the variety of resources available to people who have experienced sexual violence.

Depending on the person, there are different reporting options. Active duty military victims have the restricted reporting option where the report will not trigger an investigation. All other members, to include active duty, have the unrestricted reporting option where an investigation will be triggered. In both reporting options, everyone will be able to receive the medical care and counseling options they may need.

Sexual assault in all branches of the armed forces continues to be a problem. The DOD's fiscal year 2009 report on sexual assault in the military was released in March. It showed a total of 3,230 reports of sexual assault involving military service members, of these 546 involved Air Force members. Of those cases, 300 were unrestricted reports involving an Airman as either the subject or victim. The remaining 246 cases were restricted reports made by the victims.

Everyone from our senior leaders to our junior Airmen, as well as, civilian employees and dependents, are highly encouraged to remain on alert and become a pro-active bystander who will report and prevent these types of unacceptable conduct and behavior at all times. For questions about sexual assault or someone to talk to, contact your local SARC's 24/7 hotline number.