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Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month begins

  • Published
  • By Col. Tamra Rank
  • 375th Airlift Wing vice commander
SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. --  Earlier this month, the Department of Defense released its findings on two congressionally mandated reports - the 2006 Gender Relations Survey of Active Duty Members and the Fiscal Year 2007 Report on Sexual Assault in the Military.

The first of these reports on gender relations found that 6.8 percent of active duty women and 1.8 percent of active duty men experienced some form of unwanted sexual contact. Forty percent of these encounters occurred in the workplace and approximately one third involved alcohol and/or drug use by either the offender or the victim.

With a change in the reporting window from calendar to fiscal year, the 2007 Report on Sexual Assault in the Military concluded there were 2,688 reports of sexual assault among the services.

At the very core of our military commitment is honor. We honor our country through service and honor our fellow human beings through respect. The findings of these two reports underscore the importance of respect, particularly in the workplace as men and women in uniform.

The rules of respect we learned in grade school still apply in our work environments. Keep your hands to yourselves. Don't make inappropriate jokes or comments. Acknowledge people's personal space by staying out of it. It is as simple as that.

Things, however, can get complicated in situations when real or perceived romantic feelings or when alcohol or drug use are involved. It is in these situations that being and having a good wingman become imperative.

A good wingman knows when to step in, speak up, and seek help. Like the unspoken promises of the battlefield, a good wingman never leaves a person behind to be the victim of sexual harassment or assault. A good wingman gets involved.

The first of April kicks off Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month. Designated by the DoD, the month will focus on educating the military community about sexual assault. At Scott, a variety of activities are scheduled as part of the month-long campaign to increase awareness.

Sexual harassment and assault impact not only the lives of the victims but everyone around them by impairing the victims' ability to focus and perform their duties. Sexual harassment and assault impact mission accomplishment and is completely incompatible with our profession of arms.

I strongly encourage you to take advantage of these educational opportunities this month. As good wingmen, we owe it to our brothers and sisters of all ranks and uniforms to work proactively together in ending sexual harassment and assault.