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Airmen become sexual assault victim advocates

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Maria Bowman
  • 375th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs
SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. --  Seventeen Team Scott volunteers became certified sexual assault victim advocates after a week-long training class.

During the training, servicemembers learned about restricted and unrestricted reporting, legal and investigation procedures, ways to take care of the client and themselves, and chaplain and mental health services.

Tech. Sgt. April Tarbil, 932nd Operations Support Flight, attended the 40-hour VA course for the first time in her career.

"The course was some of the best training I have had in my military career," she said. "It was very in depth and motivating all at the same time."

The 375th Air Mobility Wing Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office intended the course to provide useful information for an advocate to assist a sexual assault victim during their journey to recovery. Currently, there are 31 victim advocates at Scott.

"It's important because we, as advocates for the client, need to be the best we can be for possibly the worst time in their life," said Tarbill. "We need to know the background and who to get in contact with, in order to make their lives as normal as possible."

Tarbill said she felt a little cut off from the rest of the base as a reservist, so she decided to become part of this program.

"I have felt detached," she said. "Being a reservist, you don't have the contacts around base that I normally had when I was active duty.

"I wanted to help people and get involved with the base. I want to be that person that someone can count on in the most difficult time of their life," she added. "They deserve the best care that we can give them."

Completing the local victim advocate training is just the first step of Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office training in the Air Force or other services. Pamela Dorsey, Scott AFB Sexual Assault Response Coordinator said bringing these issues to the forefront increase awareness.

"It is my hope that when advocates go back to their respective sections, they will continue to discuss the reality of sexual assault and address the associated inappropriate behaviors to positively impact the military culture," she said.

For more information on the training or the SAPR program, contact Pamela Dorsey at pamela.dorsey@us.af.mil.