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Sexual Assault Awareness Month: Team Scott breakfast raises awareness

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Sabrina Foster
  • 375th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. --  About 100 Team Scott members came together for breakfast Thursday at the Scott Club in observance of Sexual Assault Awareness month. 

"It's very good to be here today," said Vice Adm. Ann Rondeau, U.S. Transportation Command deputy commander and guest speaker for the event. "Sexual assault is not an easy topic to talk about, but it is important that we bring awareness to it." 

According to the Department of Defense Fiscal Year 2008 Report on Sexual Assault in the Military, sexual assaults among U.S. troops stationed in Iraq and Afghanistan rose 26 percent from the previous year. Among all active duty U.S. military troops, the Pentagon showed an increase of about 8 percent in sexual assault reports from the previous year. 

"Sexual assault does not just happen in the military," said Admiral Rondeau. "It is a global event that happens across the world. 

"Because of the military's mission, there must be a focus on stopping sexual assault," said the admiral. 

"We represent the face of the nation. Because of the business we are in, we have an obligation to not only protect and defend the Constitution of the United States and our nation, but we are obligated to protect each other as well," she said. 

"It (rape) violates a person's life and liberty which we as military have sworn to protect. Every case robs the person of their dignity and impacts not only how they think they are perceived, but how they perceive themselves." 

It's very important that everyone take care of each other and adopts a culture of bystander engagement, said Admiral Rondeau. 

"We need to recognize that sexual assault is happening before it happens," said the Admiral. "It's not impossible. It may be hard, but we have a set of principles and ethical rules about us, and if we believe those things we can beat this," she said. 

The month of April has been designated Sexual Assault Awareness Month, but Pamela Dorsey, Scott Sexual Assault Response coordinator, believes awareness should be all year long. 

"The nation takes April to give sexual assaults a greater emphasis, but it should be on our radar every month," said Ms. Dorsey. "Unfortunately, it's a reality of our society and our military that assaults happen all the time." 

Team Scott members who become victims of sexual assaults have many agencies standing by to lend their support. 

"After an assault occurs, I hope the first stop for the victim is the Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office," said Ms. Dorsey. "We connect the victim(s) to the appropriate agencies for care to include the medical group, mental health or even off base installations such as the Crisis Rape Center-all of which will maintain the confidentiality of the victim. Confidentiality will also be maintained if the victim chooses to seek counseling through Chaplain Services." 

Victims don't have to feel they're alone in the healing process, because they are teamed up with a volunteer victim's advocate to support them throughout the process. 

"VVA's are the arms of the program and they facilitate the care of the victim," said Ms. Dorsey. "They are there at the beginning when the call is made, in the hospital room if the victim requires a rape kit to be accomplished, and all the way to the court martial."
Although there is probably no way to stop a rapist from attacking a victim, there are some things that can be done to reduce the risk of being sexually assaulted, said Ms. Dorsey. 

"Monitoring the amount of alcohol you drink so that you are aware of your surroundings, having a good Wingman and staying away from areas you are not familiar with are all ways to help reduce sexual assaults," said Ms. Dorsey. 

Col. Gary Goldstone, 375th Airlift Wing commander, provided closing remarks for the breakfast. 

"Sexual assault is a troubling arena and is very difficult to talk about," said Colonel Goldstone. "I am confident that we are on the right path and we have progressed a long way." 

"This business is about trust, and the departments across the militaries have established a culture that's causing all of us as bystanders to step in and stop it before it starts," he said.