SARP provides essential service to Airmen

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Jason Barebo
  • 509th Bomb Wing Publc Affairs
WHITEMAN AIR FORCE BASE, Mo. --  The Department of Defense stood up the Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office in June 2005 in direct response to an alarming rate of sexual assault reports throughout our military services. 

The SARP program has three main goals: 

1. To deter sexual assaults through education and training. 

2. To ensure active duty service members who are sexually assaulted are protected, treated with dignity and respect, and receive appropriate and responsive care. 

3. To hold perpetrators of such assaults accountable. 

With the SARP office also came a new position at Air Force installations stateside, overseas and deployed locations; the Sexual Assault Response Coordinator. 

"It became apparent within the armed forces that sexual assault and violence was a problem that needed to be addressed," said Ann Beem, Whiteman's SARC. "The idea of the SAPR program is to both educate Air Force members to try to decrease the incidents with the military and to give those serves as the installation's single point of contact for integrating and coordinating sexual assault victim care services."

Services may begin at the initial report of sexual assault and continue through disposition and resolution of issues related to the victim's health and well-being," she said. "The SARC reports directly to the vice wing commander and assists unit commanders as necessary to ensure victims of sexual assault receive the appropriate responsive care. The SARC insures that anyone who has been victimized has a safe place to get the help they need to heal."

The SARP program provides several reporting avenues for victims of sexual assault. Reporting of an incident can be accomplished through a 24-hour hotline at 687-7272, through the law enforcement desk at 687-3700, or victims can go to the nearest medical facility or chaplain.

The SARP program provides two types of reporting options, restricted and unrestricted. A restricted report will not initiate an investigation, but will still provide the same care and treatment, while allowing the victim time to decide if they want to report the incident to law enforcement. 

"Reporting to the chaplain, SARC or medical personnel allows the member to make a restricted report," Ms. Beem said. An unrestricted report will initiate an investigation by law enforcement agencies. Any report that is given directly to law enforcement or that comes through the victim's chain of command will automatically initiate an unrestricted report. 

SARCs train volunteer Victim Advocates that stand ready to be assigned victims of sexual assault. Victim advocates provide essential support, liaison services and care to victims and can remain engaged with the victim long term. 

"The victim advocate ensures victims continue to receive the necessary care and support until the victim states or the SARC determines that support is no longer needed," Ms. Beem said. "The Air Force relies on volunteers to fill this critical function. Only Active Duty, Reserve, National Guard personnel in active status and DoD civilian employees may serve as victim advocates." 

Victim care is just one side of the story for the SAPR. Education is also a very huge part of a sexual assault response coordinator's job. 

"I have been working with other Air Force SARC offices over the last several years to help educate both Airmen and civilians on the dangers of sexual assault and the options you have if you have been victimized," Ms. Beem said. 

"None of us wants to think that this is a program that we may need but the reality is that one in five women in America and one in thirty three men has or will be a victim of sexual assault at some point in their lifetime," Ms. Beem added. "All of us know at least five women thus the likelihood is that someone close to us has already been victimized. Research shows us that only about 15 - 18 percent of assaults are reported. 

"In 2008 alone there were 2908 reported incidents of sexual assault throughout DoD. These are not just numbers but actual military members whose lives will forever be changed and negatively impacted," she said. 

Air Force personnel are required at a minimum to complete Sexual Assault Awareness training once a year and the SAPR program also briefs at many other venues throughout the career of the airman. The SAPR program stands poised to provide additional training and education opportunities are to those who request it. 

The Air Force has begun a huge undertaking by initiating "bystander Intervention" as a way to begin a culture shift where we no longer stand by and wait for others to experience bad things. 

"We all need to take a proactive approach and encourage all of the men and women at Whiteman to become more aware of the things happening around them," Ms. Beem said. "Step up as a good Wingman when you see a fellow Airman in a potentially dangerous situation. Do something to assist and keep something bad from happening."