Photo By Senior Master Sgt. Cohen Young | Graphic obtained from www.SAPR.mil website and manipulated with text for an article...... read more read more
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AFGHANISTAN - Airman across Bagram Airfield and supporting forward operating bases in Afghanistan participated in Sexual Assault Prevention and Response training during the month of May.
The need for training has increased as the military has taken a stand against any type of sexual assault. Air Force leaders are investing time and resources while aiming at a zero tolerance policy.
“During the last year, the Air Force has worked hard to combat sexual assault. We have invested in programmatic, educational and resourcing efforts aimed at reinforcing a zero tolerance environment,” said Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James. “The Air Force's mission depends on Airmen having complete trust and confidence in one another. Our core values of Integrity, Service and Excellence, define the standard. Sexual assault is absolutely inconsistent and incompatible with our core values, our mission, and our heritage. As such, our SAPR program is a priority both for ensuring readiness and taking care of our Airmen."
Air Force leadership emphasized the need to have everyone in the Air Force trained by the end of May. Air Force bases had the option of having their SAPR 'stand-down' day in either April or May.
Due to training requirements prior to deploying, some Airmen might have missed that opportunity if it weren’t for deployed Sexual Assault Response Coordinators, such as U.S. Air Force Capt. Isabella K. Ramirez, the SARC for Afghanistan.
“This program affects all of us as Airmen, regardless if we are deployed or at home station. We all have a responsibility in preventing sexual assaults in our Air Force and promoting a culture of dignity and respect,” said Ramirez, a resident of Warrensburg, Mo. “It was important for us to take the time to focus our attention on this topic, to have group discussions about what is happening in our Air Force and what we can do to potentially stop sexual assaults.”
Ramirez is responsible for getting all Air Force members trained, which is no easy task with multiple FOBs throughout Afghanistan. There were challenges to getting all of the Air Force civilians and Airmen trained.
“Our combat mission created a unique challenge in training everyone because we could not just ‘stand-down’ like units did at home station,” added Ramirez. “We split the Commander’s Calls from the small group discussions in order to maximize flexibility in execution. Commanders conducted their CC calls to best fit their unit's mission and we offered multiple small group discussions throughout the day and at different locations to work around Airmen's schedules.”
This year’s training focused on offenders, their tactics and behaviors as well as understanding the environment in which they operate in. Understanding their tactics and behaviors and concentrating efforts to eliminate their environment is how individuals can potentially prevent sexual assaults from happening. Many who attended found the training useful even in a deployed environment.
“SAPR training is absolutely necessary at deployed location,” said U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Crystal Jones, a financial management journeyman assigned to the 455th Air Expeditionary Wing. “Just because we are deployed doesn't erase the problem or the fact that we should be aware of the characteristics that a predator possesses. If SAPR training sticks with just one individual in the small group setting; that one person has the potential to affect many ... the butterfly effect.”
Ramirez is but one person and could not travel to Kabul, Kandahar, Shindand and Mazar E Sharif while also conducting training at her own deployed location of Bagram Air Field and get everyone trained on time. This would take a team effort to ensure Airmen received the mandatory, but necessary training.
“We had a total of five facilitators travel to Afghanistan from the 379 AEW and 380 AEW. Additionally, the 466 Air Expeditionary Group SARC and I led small group discussions in theater with the help of the forward deployed facilitators,” said Ramirez.
According to Ramirez’s numbers, 3,861 Air Force members were trained across Afghanistan.
“The execution of SAPR training was a team effort,” continued Ramirez. “The support from commanders, chiefs, first sergeants and the facilitators who volunteered to forward deploy were instrumental in making this a success.”
| Date Taken: | 06.04.2014 |
| Date Posted: | 06.05.2014 11:39 |
| Story ID: | 132170 |
| Location: | AF |
| Hometown: | WARRENSBURG, MO, US |
| Web Views: | 116 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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