Fleet Training Brings Sexual Assault Prevention and Response (SAPR) Message to Deckplate Sailors

As Fire Control Technician 3rd Class Walsh checked aboard USS Rupert Wheeling, she appeared confident and on-track to achieve her ultimate goal of becoming a command master chief, following in her family’s Navy tradition. A solid performance in the Wheeling’s combat systems department would help her make rank and earn the qualifications she needed.

Unfortunately, Walsh’s plans were derailed by her new leading petty officer (LPO), a sexual predator who was laser-focused on having sex with her by any means necessary, including alcohol and deception. Her LPO’s actions derailed Walsh’s career, and ended his own.

Although Walsh, her LPO and the Wheeling are fictional entities portrayed in the new Sexual Assault Prevention and Response-Fleet (SAPR-F) training video, the reality is that sexual assaults happen in the Navy multiple times every day.

According to the Naval Criminal and Investigative Service (NCIS), the Navy had 441 sexual assaults reported in fiscal year 2010 and 408 in fiscal year 2011. The Marine Corps had 254 sexual assaults in fiscal year 2010 and 282 in fiscal year 2011. This brings the Department of the Navy’s totals to 695 for fiscal year 2010 and 690 for fiscal year 2011. And these are just the unrestricted reports. By their very nature, restricted reports are not tracked. Also, accurate statistics for 2012 are currently unavailable due to the pending outcomes of ongoing legal proceedings.

The problem of sexual assault has visibility at the highest levels and Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Jonathan Greenert does not mince words on how he feels about the problem. Both the CNO and Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy Mike Stevens introduce the SAPR-F training video, making sure that Sailors know the gravity of the problem.

Sexual assaults affect the readiness of our entire Navy,” said Greenert in the video. “We need to get to the left of this problem, and prevent sexual assaults. Every Sailor should be our first line of defense.”

“The majority of these assaults are blue-on-blue,” added Stevens. “Think about it – our shipmates are committing crimes against other shipmates and that goes against everything we stand for as Sailors. Sexual assault is a crime, and it causes terrible personal pain. It lowers team morale and undermines the very unit cohesion for which we all strive.”

SAPR-F training is the latest event in the Navy's aggressive efforts to prevent sexual assaults and bring about essential cultural changes within the force. Twenty SAPR-F Master Mobile Training Teams (MMTTs) are deployed around the globe providing SAPR-F preparation training to designated mid-level leadership command training teams in fleet concentration areas and locations with a significant Navy presence. These teams, comprised of a mid-grade officer (O-3 or O-4) and a senior enlisted (E-7 or E-8), will then deliver the SAPR-F training to their E-6 and below personnel, which must be completed at each command by the March 31 deadline.

The fleet training is meant to educate Sailors on the magnitude of the problem of sexual violence in the Navy and to emphasize the role that each Sailor's actions and decisions have on sexual assault prevention. SAPR-F also aims to help members understand the reporting options available to victims of sexual assault, as well as where to go for help.

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