FLEACT Yokosuka kicks off SAPR pilot program

Photo By Paul Long | Commander Fleet Activities, Yokosuka Capt. David Owen, speaks to an audience of commanding officers and command master chiefs during the Sexual Assault and Prevention pilot program meeting April 9. The meeting's goal was to determine the best way that Navy leadership can work with sailors at the deck-plate level to eradicate sexual assaults in the Navy. (U.S. Navy photo by Paul Long/ Cleared for release by CFAY PAO)  

YOKOSUKA, KANAGAWA, JAPAN

04.11.2013

Story by Paul Long 

Commander, Fleet Activities Yokosuka

YOKOSUKA, Japan - Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Japan Rear Adm. Dan Cloyd, and Commander Fleet Activities Yokosuka Capt. David Owen spoke to several commanding officers and command master chiefs during a Sexual Assault and Prevention pilot program meeting.

The program aims to gain input from the deckplate level on how to improve training scenarios and to reach sailors on the prevention of sexual assaults in the Navy.

“[We want to] ask the young men and women who are most affected by this [issue], the demographic that is the target audience and the target of the vast majority of the incidents, what they think,” said Cloyd.

The program targets three working groups onboard FLEACT, Yokosuka: a flag-officer group, a command group, and a junior sailor group.

“We want the sailors’ input on this,” said Owen. “We want them to come up with [ideas] that they will buy into instead of a bunch of us senior people telling them, ‘Hey, this is what we’re going to do!’”

FLEACT, Yokosuka reported 45 sexual assault cases in fiscal year 2012 and 23 cases in fiscal year 2011. Navywide, there were 408 sexual assaults in 2011 and 441 for 2010. Numbers for 2012 haven’t been released.

“I would like to encourage everyone to protect and look out for one another, have the courage to make a difference,” said Ted Joyner, Japan Regional Sexual Assault Response Coordinator.

FLEACT, Yokosuka is one of four SAPR pilot program sites. Other site programs are located at Great Lakes, Ill., Pensacola, Fla., and San Diego.

Navy Administrative Message 075/13 announces April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM), the Navy’s annual campaign to raise awareness about sexual assault and educate Sailors on how to prevent sexual violence.

• Date Taken: 04.11.2013
• Date Posted: 05.07.2013 01:37
• Story ID: 106461
• Location: YOKOSUKA, KANAGAWA, JP