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NSTC meets SAPR-F and L Deadline; Continues Training For All New Sailors
Story Number: NNS130425-21
4/25/2013

By Scott A. Thornbloom, Naval Service Training Command Public Affairs

GREAT LAKES (NNS) -- Naval Service Training Command (NSTC) recently met the Chief of Naval Operations (CNO)-mandated Sexual Assault Prevention and Response (SAPR) Fleet (F) Training by March 31.

NSTC is in a unique position to regularly continue providing SAPR F training to 98 percent of the Navy's initial accessions of officer and enlisted men and women every month.

SAPR F training is now given to thousands of new Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps (NROTC) midshipmen, Sailors and Marines at more than 160 colleges and universities around the country annually, more than 3,000 officer candidates a year at Officer Training Command (OTC) Newport, R.I., and more than 37,000 recruits at the Navy's only boot camp, Recruit Training Command (RTC) Great Lakes, Ill., annually.

"The SAPR F training went very well. All our programs finished by the deadline of March 31," said Cmdr. Aquilla Causey, NSTC's N3 Operations officer and coordinator for the command's SAPR training. "The NROTC units took the longest time but that was because they had to offer the training during a Navy Science Instruction (NSI) block of instruction. Each school is also a little different in how they set up curriculum for the NROTC units but they all got in on time."

At the start of the training Causey said it was the responsibility of NSTC to make sure that training was available to the Navy's accession commands.

"This was a very big job, especially the tracking of the training within the NSTC domain," said Causey. "We've gotten outstanding cooperation from all our programs (as we) completed the training of our trainers, recruits, midshipmen and officer candidates."

The SAPR-F and L (Leadership) training is the latest in the Navy's aggressive efforts to prevent sexual assaults and promote essential culture changes within the force.

"Since Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month (SAAPM) 2012, OTC has continued to build momentum in our efforts to 'get to the left' of the problem," said Lt. Caroline Silvia, an officer instructor and command Sexual Assault and Prevention Response (SAPR) representative at OTC. With our robust command team of 17 Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Instructors and five Victim Advocates, we have trained 1,672 students and staff members in over 200 training hours to ensure the newest Naval Officers are prepared to 'Take the Helm' and empowered to be leaders who are aware, engaged, and involved."

Silvia also said going forward all students arriving at OTC in Newport will receive an initial SAPR brief, to include an overview of the SAPR program, reporting options, use of the Department of Defense (DoD) Safe Helpline, available resources and how to maintain a restricted report while in training.

"Per NAVADMIN 225/12, all E7 and above staff and student officers completed SAPR-L training in September 2012," said Silvia. "Per NAVADMIN333/12, all E6 and below and all Officer Candidate School (OCS), Officer Development School (ODS) and Seaman-To-Admiral (STA-21) students assigned to OTC during the months of January to March 2013 completed the SAPR-F training. Since then, OCS ODS and STA-21 have incorporated the SAPR-L training into their curriculum.

"The message of prevention doesn't just stop after the SAPR-L or SAPR-F training is completed, students continue to be engage in comprehensive discussions about establishing a professional divisional climate, recognition and not permitting 'continuum of harm' behaviors, ethical decisions, responsible drinking, and bystander intervention," said Silvia.

The only two courses at OTC where SAPR training is not given are the Direct Commission Officer Indoctrination Course (DCOIC) and the Limited Duty Officer and Chief Warrant Officer (LDO/CWO) school. Silvia said the DCOIC course is only 12-days and there isn't enough time for the training to be given. Also, many of the reserve officers have already received the training from their reserve units or have been scheduled to receive the training. Many of the CWOs and LDOs have also already received the training from their permanent commands or will receive the training at a future date.

At the Navy's only boot camp, SAPR-F, has been provided for each training division on their 3-3 day, or third week/third day of training, and will continue to be held for every recruit on their 3-3 day in the future.

The training consists of a 90-minute class on sexual assault, prevention and bystander intervention from those who observe a 'continuum of harm' behavior. A 30-minute video is shown in various segments and discussion encouraged with suggested questions facilitated by instructors. The three member instructor team always consists of a junior officer, typically a lieutenant; a chief, senior chief, or master chief; and either a victim advocate, sexual assault response coordinator or chaplain. The video is designed to portray a plausible scenario of the behaviors leading up to a sexual assault aboard a U.S. Navy vessel, in this case, the fictional USS Rupert Wheeling.

"We just think it's working so well," said Senior Chief Cryptologic Technician (Collection) Michelle O'Grady, SAPR liaison for RTC. "How we know that is when they get to the bystander intervention next door ('A' School), their awareness and level of knowledge is higher. They say, 'Wow.' They're so much more prepared."

O'Grady referred to courses taught during 'A' school at Training Support Command (TSC) Great Lakes, when recruits are able to apply the critical thinking skills in hard discussion settings first modeled at boot camp.

"In a few of the classes, it was hard to facilitate because the Sailors knew the answers," said Chief Culinary Specialist Tatisha Loring, SAPR liaison at TSC. "They always go back to the video they viewed at RTC and refer to those discussions"

Loring added the student Sailors "know why it's not okay to turn your back on a situation that's escalating out of control," she said. "The SAPR-F program is highly effective, and we've had more people come forward if they see inappropriate behavior. They're stepping in and taking control of the situation, and they're coming back and reporting. The message is getting out-- if you've got this type of behavior, you don't belong here."

SAPR-F training at RTC is introduced by a short video featuring the Commanding Officer, Capt. John Dye; Cmdr. Kertreck Brooks, the executive officer; and RTC's Command Master Chief, Christopher Angstead. However, this is not the first time recruits have heard the sexual assault prevention message, Dye initially delivers it via video while incoming recruits are still on the bus to boot camp during Night of Arrival.

"The Navy is committed to stamping out sexual assault in our ranks," said Dye. "We start the process before our recruits arrive at our facilities and continually build on that process throughout their training at RTC. While we provide detailed information on reporting sexual assaults, our primary focus is on prevention, intervention and avoiding situations that could lead to a sexual assault. The armed forces have traditionally led the way in addressing difficult social issues and sexual assault is no different."

NSTC's SAPR Liaison, Lt. Tanishia Thorpe, said NSTC is in the process of coordinating with DOD and Department of the Navy (DON) SAPR Training in order to build sustainment training that is specific to all accessions.

"For FY13, the Naval Education Training Command's (NETC) Center for Personal and Professional Development (CPPD) SAPR-Refresher Training (RT) and SAPR-F courses, are provided to recruits at RTC; SAPR-L (everyone except LDO/CWO and DCO) and SAPR-F (for OCS) are provided at OTC; NROTC Units will continue to receive SAPR-F (for freshmen and sophomores) and SAPR-L (Officer Candidates and midshipmen that are juniors and seniors)," said Thorpe. "All Staff members receive annual GMT based on their rank (SAPR F for E6 and below and SAPR-L and SAPR-Khaki (K) based on their rank of E7 and above)."

Causey called SAPR training an important element of the readiness of the 21st Century Sailor and Marine initiative which consolidates a set of objectives and policies, new and existing, to maximize Sailor and Marine personal readiness, build resiliency and hone the most combat-effective force in the history of the Navy and Marine Corps. "DON and NSTC are working aggressively to prevent sexual assaults, to support sexual assault victims, and to hold offenders accountable," said Causey.

Additional information on all the SAPR training efforts can be found at the SAPR L/F training web pages, including command registration for SAPR-F training: http://www.public.navy.mil/bupers-npc/support/sapr/Pages/training.aspx/.>
For more information about NSTC, visit http://www1.netc.navy.mil/nstc/ or visit the NSTC Facebook pages at https://www.facebook.com/NavalServiceTraining/.>
Help raise awareness by joining the conversation on social media using #SexualAssault and #SAAPM.