CSADD takes the stage for SAAM

Photo By Chief Petty Officer Brian Morales | Naval Air Station Key West Commanding Officer Capt. Steve McAlearney and Command Master Chief Lisa Terrell stand with volunteers that performed in the Coalition of Sailors Against Destructive Decisions sexual assault awareness skit at Boca Chica Field. NAS Key West is a state-of-the-art facility for air-to-air combat fighter aircraft of all military services and provides world-class pierside support to U.S. and foreign naval vessels. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Brian Morales/ Released  

KEY WEST, FL, UNITED STATES

04.18.2014

Story by Petty Officer 2nd Class Brian Morales 

Naval Air Station Key West

KEY WEST, Fla. - “When it comes to sexual assault, there is no grey area. It’s wrong,” said Sexual Assault Advocate Operations Specialist 2nd Class Kristal L. Browner, from Washington, Ga.

For weeks, Naval Air Station Key West’s chapter of the Coalition of Sailors Against Destructive Decisions practiced their sexual assault awareness skit and recently performed it at Boca Chica Field, April 18.

“I think they [audience members] received the message from the different scenarios of sexual assault and opened their eyes to give a broad spectrum of the different situations,” said Browner.

CSADD Secretary Browner and Public Affairs Officer Logistics Specialist Seaman Brittney Joseph, a sexual assault victim advocate from Houston, wrote three scenarios for the performance based on realistic events that can occur in today’s Navy.

Scenes depicted predators of a new female Sailor checking in a command, same sex assault during a Navy physical readiness test and a failed bystander intervention club scene.

“The reason I chose the new check-in scene because I thought it would be more realistic with a female in an all-male division,” said Browner, who wrote two of the scenes performed.
“For the same sex, I thought it is one of those topics that people don’t want to talk about. Nobody wants to talk about same sex [assault] but it happens. It’s real and that’s why I wrote that skit.”

As part of the Sexual Assault Awareness Month events coordinated by Sexual Assault Response Coordinator Angelina Alcocer and Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Advocate Chief Electronics Technician Latoya Blaine, the skits will also be performed on the April 23 and 25 for other local commands.

This year’s SAAM theme, “Live Our Values: Step Up to Stop Sexual Assault,” encourages Sailors to think what the Navy core values mean to them beyond the line of duty.

“I like the way the Navy is going with sexual assault awareness because it gives victims a chance to have a voice,” Browner added.

• Date Taken: 04.18.2014
• Date Posted: 04.21.2014 16:58
• Story ID: 126952
• Location: KEY WEST, FL, US
• Hometown: HOUSTON, TX, US
• Hometown: WASHINGTON, GA, US