Photo By Erin Perez | Brig. Gen. E. Darrin Cox, Regional Health Command-Central commanding general, awards...... read more read more
Regional Health Command-Central recognized their top sexual assault response coordinator and victim advocate during a ceremony June 28. The ceremony was part of the Region’s Sexual Harassment and Assault Response Prevention Program summit held on Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston.
Roger Davidson, from William Beaumont Army Medical Center, Fort Bliss, Texas, was named the RHC-C Exceptional SARC of the Year for 2022. Staff Sgt. Pamela Davis, from Evans Army Community Hospital on Fort Carson, Colo., was named the 2022 Exceptional Victim Advocate.
“I appreciate all of the hard work and effort the SHARP teams put into their work and especially the two selected as Exceptional SARC and Exceptional VA,” said Brig. Gen. E. Darrin Cox, RHC-C commanding general during the presentation of awards. “I am glad we have the opportunity to recognize outstanding members of our team.”
Davidson started working with the program while in Seoul, Korea in 2005. He values the recognition of this award.
“Winning this award makes me feel appreciated for the hard work my team and I put forth every day to assist our clients who have been through a horrific ordeal that impacts their lives for a long time, if not forever,” Davidson said.
He has served over 5,000 Soldiers and Department of the Army civilians in his current role but doesn’t take all the credit for winning the award.
“This is not an individual award,” he said. “This was a team effort. I have been fortunate enough to have engaged leadership who prioritizes the SHARP program and gives me the latitude and support in implementing policy and new ideas. It takes a strong victim advocate team that places the needs of the clients above their own and those of the unit.”
Davis has had a focus on training others in addition to her daily role as a VA.
Over the past year, Davis mentored 10 collateral victim advocates, met the National Organization for Victim Assistance credentialing requirements, implemented SHARP training twice a month and enhanced monthly newcomers SHARP training using MS Teams, Face-to-Face, small groups and individual desk-side methods.
“No one surpasses SSG Davis’ training ability, caring nature, response tactics, thinking in emergency situations, providing excellent training/mentorship and ceaseless efforts, while consistently looking out for every victim that comes to EACH,” said Rosalin Garcia-Buchanan, the SARC supervisor for EACH, in Davis’ award recommendation.
Davis also attributes her success to the support of others, like her mentor Dr. Julia Woodhouse, a retired sergeant major and former EACH SARC and the 2016 Region SARC of the Year.
“Without her I probably wouldn’t have known the things I know, done the job that I did or the work that I’m doing right now,” Davis said. She went on to acknowledge all of the Soldiers she has worked with during her career for their contributions to getting her where she is today.
“It’s been amazing being part of the military,” she said. “I wouldn’t change it for anything.”
It has been a few years since RHC-C has had a formal event to select an exceptional SARC and VA however, the Region’s SHARP program manager, Nykita Riley, felt it was important to revive the honor.
"The recognition and selection of an Exceptional SARC and Exceptional VA was important to me because I know personally how tough the work is, how awesome our SARCs and VAs are, and the daily fight we have in advocating for victims and for the SHARP program,” said Riley. “SARCs and VAs pour so much of themselves into victims, and often times the work that is done is unseen by most due to the confidential nature of the program. Due to those factors, SHARP Professionals are not often recognized and we wanted to change that in the Region. DoD has their program, HQDA has their recognition program, but we needed to recognize people on our level, in our Region."
| Date Taken: | 07.05.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 07.05.2022 17:48 |
| Story ID: | 424377 |
| Location: | FORT SAM HOUSTON, TX, US |
| Web Views: | 109 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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