Navy Attends Joint SHARP, SAPR Summit in San Antonio

Naval Medical Forces Support Command
Story by Petty Officer 1st Class Jacquelyn Childs

Date: 04.20.2017
Posted: 04.26.2017 10:06
News ID: 231594
Navy Victim Advocates Attend Training

SAN ANTONIO – Navy leaders and members of the Sexual Assault Prevention and Response (SAPR) team attended a summit April 19 and 20 as part of ongoing efforts during Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month (SAAPM) at Joint Base San Antonio (JBSA) – Fort Sam Houston, Texas.

The summit was held by JBSA Army’s Sexual Harassment and Assault Response and Prevention (SHARP) team and featured several speakers including local SHARP/SAPR authorities and leading industry professionals who came to San Antonio for the sole purpose of discussing the critical issue with senior leaders and support personnel.

“This event was an important tool used to open the eyes of senior leadership across JBSA, with topics about ‘Male on Male Sexual Assault’ and ‘Gender Fictions and Cultural Changes’,” said Seltha Jones-Willis, Navy Sexual Assault Response Coordinator for JBSA. “Leadership were also able to hear and ask questions about the JBSA trends and analysis which was presented by Dr. Charlotte Moerbe, JBSA Lead SARC, 502nd Air Base Wing.”

Jones-Willis said the summit appeared to show a strong support from leadership in the area in regards to sexual assault prevention and plans to continue efforts outside of just April for SAAPM.

“We were honored to have almost 300 senior leaders from all branches of service attend the summit, which clearly shows sexual violence is not just a Navy issue,” she said. “Plans are being made to offer something similar at least twice a year to continue to educate our leaders across the sister services.”

Besides senior leadership, SAPR support personnel such as victim advocates (VA) were in attendance and gained a lot of insight from the summit.

“The speakers were great,” said Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class PaulJames Johnson III, a VA at Navy Medicine Education, Training and Logistics Command. “They seemed very passionate about the subject and I really learned a lot."

Dr. Moerbe was joined by other speakers including Dr. Suzanne Holroyd from the Department of Defense SAPR Office; Army Sgt. Major Caprecia Miller from the Army Headquarters SHARP Office; Dr. Howard Fradkin, a psychologist; and Dr. Christopher Kilmartin, a psychologist, researcher and author.