SAPR-F is the follow-on to SAPR-Leadership training, which was designed to raise leaders' awareness about the reality of sexual assault in the Navy and to emphasize key prevention and response roles. SAPR-L and SAPR-F complement the Navy's training continuum for sexual assault prevention and response, which begins when each Sailor enters the Navy. The wide-sweeping reach of this initiative ensures that all Sailors are empowered to intervene to stop this crime.
Capt. William Marvel, chief of staff for the SAPR Task Force, explained that the master mobile training teams will enable the command training teams to provide valuable SAPR-F training to Sailors at every command throughout the Navy.
"These MMTTs are modeled after the very successful MMTTs that deployed globally in support of SAPR-Leadership training,” said Marvel. “They will provide individual command training teams with the tools necessary to stimulate an open conversation to reinforce Sailor commitment and encourage them to intervene with other Sailors to reduce sexual assaults and promote a culture of respect, trust and professionalism in our force. SAPR-F continues the storyline from SAPR‐L, but is reoriented to focus on bystander intervention, emphasizing the importance of disrupting the continuum of harm and recognizing misplaced loyalties."
The MMTT training was coordinated and hosted by the Center for Personal and Professional Development (CPPD) and helps ensure a consistent message reaches the force -- sexual assault is a crime and will not be tolerated in the Navy, explained Capt. John Newcomer, CPPD commanding officer.
"The SAPR-F training program provides command leaders the tools to develop and promote a culture of change,” said Newcomer. "We put considerable time and effort into working with our contractor to ensure that the training is innovative, effective and relevant with today's Sailors, making sure they can relate to the scenarios in the SAPR-F video.”
Rear Adm. (select) Cynthia Thebaud, the SAPR-F Task Force Deputy Commander, explained that in addition to having mid-level leadership facilitate the training, another key element of the program is the requirement for members of the command triad to introduce their SARP-F training.
“This introduction is crucial to reinforce for every member of the command that sexual assault is a crime that will not be tolerated,” said Thebaud. “It’s the responsibility of every member of the command, from the top down, to take a stand; and that command leadership will be engaged.”
More than 1,000 face-to-face SAPR-F preparation training sessions are scheduled to run through mid-January, providing training for active and reserve component command training teams. Commands that are deployed and whose teams are unable to attend a face-to-face training session can receive the training via Defense Connect Online. After command training teams provide the SAPR-F training to their E-6 and below, each command is responsible for documenting completion via the Fleet Training Management Planning System (FLTMPS).
Lt. Cmdr. Bert Rice is assigned as team leader for the Southeast region MMTT presenting SAPR-F sessions at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Fla.
“The training sessions have gone great and we’re getting into a rhythm,” said Rice. “My team has an aggressive schedule of 115 sessions in 45 days, ranging from Panama City, Fla. to Millington, Tenn., to New Orleans; allowing us to see a significant portion of the fleet. This is time exceptionally-well spent and we are looking forward to delivering the CNO’s message on sexual assault prevention to the Southeast region. Our goal is to prepare the command teams to effectively deliver training to the deckplate Sailor.”
Sexual assault prevention is an important element of the readiness area of the 21st Century Sailor and Marine initiative, which builds resiliency to hone the most combat-effective force in the history of the Department of the Navy.
Additional information on the MMTT and SAPR-F training efforts can be found in Naval Administration Message (NAVADMIN) 336-12.
For more information about Navy SAPR, visit www.sapr.navy.mil.
For additional information on the Naval Education and Training Command, visit the NETC website: https://www.netc.navy.mil.
