Photo By Sgt. 1st Class William Tanner | U.S. Army Brig. Gen. William Parker, 94th Army Air and Missile Defense Command (AAMDC)...... read more read more
JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR HICKAM, Hawaii – Inside of a small hallway at the 94th Army Air and Missile Defense Command’s (AAMDC) headquarters building, Soldiers and civilians gathered in preparation for a ceremony that was about to begin.
The ceremony, held on April 9, 2026, was the unit’s annual recognition of the U.S. Army’s Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month (SAAPM). With a large, printed proclamation stationed in front of the American flag, side saddled by the unit’s guidons, leaders from the unit spoke about the meaning of SAAPM recognition for the month of April.
Starting with the introduction, 94th AAMDC Headquarters and Headquarters Battery (HHB) commander, Capt. Eric Perkins, kicked off the unit’s dedication.
“Why we are doing this today is sexual assault and sexual harassment within our ranks destroys the morale of our unit,” said Perkins. “So, what today is, is a proclamation stating that when things like this happen, we are going to have your back. You can trust us to make sure that you’re taken care of.”
Perkins comments echoed that of the Department of War (DoW), who recently posted on their Department of Defense Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office (DoD SAPRO) website current 2026 campaign materials including the motto, “Step Forward. Prevent. Report. Advocate.”
The SAPRO Director, Dr. Nate Galbreath, also gave his opinion on the website as to what the motto meant to him.
“The warrior ethos demands integrity, honor, and courage – on and off the battlefield. Sexual assault violates every one of those values. To ‘Step Forward’ is to live up to those expectations,” said Galbreath. “It means having the integrity to intervene, the courage to seek help, and the honor to create a climate of dignity and respect. Those standards build a lethal force where every warfighter is safe, respected, and ready for the fight.”
During the ceremony, Command Sgt. Maj. Quinnus Caldwell, the 94th AAMDC’s senior enlisted advisor, reiterated some of the same sentiments Galbreath talked about.
“For all of you who don’t know, we are going to do a check on learning. What is the CG’s (Commanding General’s) number one priority in the 94th AAMDC?” asked Caldwell. “Starts with an L and ends with a Y. Lethality!” exclaimed Caldwell as he and the Soldiers in attendance said it in unison.
Caldwell continued.
“So, what does sexual assault and sexual harassment erode?” asked Caldwell. “LETHALITY!” exclaimed the Soldiers. As Caldwell proceeded to read the stationed proclamation out loud, Soldiers listened intently to the words written on the large, posterized affirmation.
“During this month we affirm our commitment to combat sexual violence. This year’s, April 2026, theme is SHARP. Shaping a culture of trust,” said Caldwell. “Protecting our people protects our mission.”
Throughout the reading of the proclamation, Caldwell stated that even one Soldier affected by sexual assault or sexual harassment affects us all. He stressed to his Soldiers that we must stay “steadfast” and uphold the Army standards.
Closing out the ceremony, both Caldwell and Brig. Gen. William Parker, the 94th AAMDC commanding general, signed above their printed names, listed on the bottom of the proclamation with Parker providing some parting words of wisdom.
“Like sergeant major said, it takes a team to create lethality. That’s what we do, to our fundamental core, in support of national security interests!” exclaimed Parker. “You cannot achieve that if you break the cohesion within the team and that’s what this does!”
| Date Taken: | 04.09.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 04.09.2026 21:35 |
| Story ID: | 562412 |
| Location: | JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, HAWAII, US |
| Web Views: | 29 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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