Photo By Sgt. James Geelen | Teal shoes are on display at McMahon Auditorium April 22. The boots were on display...... read more read more
“No one likes it when you speak up about a problem and people don’t believe you,” said Col. Steven E. Putthoff, commander, 4th Sustainment Brigade, 4th Infantry Division. “I don’t either. Most people in the military who subscribe to the Army values operate with integrity and honesty. Therefore, we want to be treated fairly when we come forward looking for help.”
Putthoff’s statement opened the Sexual Assault Awareness Prevention Month (SAAPM) book club hosted by the brigade April 14 at McMahon Auditorium. The book club required attendees to read “A False Report: A True Story of Rape in America” by Christian T. Miller. They also had the option to watch “Unbelievable” on a streaming service.
“Sexual harassment and sexual assault are very real problems in the military,” Putthoff said. “They need to be talked about openly and candidly. This means talking about some uncomfortable topics, that don’t always get talked about in professional forums. But they must be talked about and they require mature conversations.”
Thinking “outside the box” during training can lead to changes of perceptions and clear up misinformation.
“The intent of the Book Club event was to allow everyone to see what a person goes through during the recovery process, the investigation and the importance of being a good friend to be their support system, and how leaders can be more empathic to Soldiers,” said Sgt. 1st Class Monique Oxenford, sexual assault response coordinator, 4th SB. “Before our conversations, many Soldiers didn’t realize how much a victim goes through. Our team felt this training was more impactful than our normal training. The Soldiers also left with the names of the resources around Colorado Springs and Fort Carson, to include locations to receive a sexual assault forensics exam.”
The event was held over multiple days during April, and was open to everyone on Fort Carson.
“I think that using the ‘Unbelievable’ series really helped for people to see that not every victim will have the same reaction,” said Sgt. Erica Curtis, supply sergeant, Charlie Company, 4th Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 4th Inf. Div. “I think leaders across the Army should be required to watch the series, so they can get rid of any preconceived notions about how victims should act. Plus the series really highlights the invasive process the victims are put through after the assault.”
The conversations centered on the eight-episode show and the impact it had.
“This show has brought about a level of awareness, for me personally, that I have not received in 27 years of our power point training,” said Command Sgt. Maj. Phillip C. Hollifield, brigade sergeant major, 4th SB. “You really can’t get an understanding of what the victims of sexual assault go through.”
Hollifield said the training enlisted an emotional awakening and connection in him.
“As leaders we need to be more open and empathic to the victims,” Hollifield said. “We need to help the victims, be someone they can confide in and help them recover. The most important piece of the healing process is for the victim to have a trusted agent, someone that will support them. Without the support of a trusted individual, the victim could spiral out of control and end up taking their own life.”
Getting to the truth of an assault allegation is not always a simple process.
“In every alleged assault, there are always going to be two sides, and we must remember, the assailant has rights as well,” Putthoff said. “They must be treated with dignity, respect and afforded due process. This show brought to light the very real facts of victim shaming and retaliation that occur.”
Impactful and profound change must start at the lowest level.
“Ideals on how to address this issue across the military will come from peer discussions, among the Soldiers,” Putthoff said. “It’s going to be through battle buddies. The discussions need to include every echelon of Soldiers. It’s going to be at those levels where we will be able to truly address and face, and completely stomp out harassment and assault across the force.”
| Date Taken: | 04.26.2021 |
| Date Posted: | 04.27.2021 13:22 |
| Story ID: | 394887 |
| Location: | FORT CARSON, CO, US |
| Hometown: | COLORADO SPRINGS, CO, US |
| Hometown: | MANSFIELD, PA, US |
| Web Views: | 24 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Raising Critical Awareness, by SGT James Geelen, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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