The Source for Navy News

Navy's Training Headquarters Holds SAPR Standdown
Story Number: NNS130628-11
6/28/2013

By Ed Barker, Naval Education and Training Command Public Affairs

PENSACOLA, Fla. (NNS) -- Focusing on putting an end to Sexual Assault in all forms, military and civilian staff members from the Naval Education and Training Command (NETC) participated in a Sexual Assault Prevention and Response (SAPR) standdown June 27.

NETC Commander Rear Adm. Don Quinn stressed that the intent of this standdown was to ensure service members and civilian personnel clearly understand they are accountable for fostering a positive climate where sexist behaviors, harassment, and assault are not tolerated, condoned, or ignored.

"The Secretary of the Navy and Chief of Naval Operations have asked us to re-focus on sexual assault prevention and response and reinforce our core values," said Quinn. "That includes zero tolerance for sexual assault and sexual harassment. We leverage morale and Esprit de Corps in our units to do what others cannot. That's how we can go into places like New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina and bring order out of chaos - because everyone in the unit knows their shipmates have their back. Sexual assault destroys that trust and damages our mission effectiveness, in addition to the personal damage done to those involved."

Mike Stahl, SAPR program manager for NETC coordinated the headquarters standdown and the training throughout the domain.

"The SAPR Leadership training for senior command members and the SAPR Fleet training E6 and below set the stage for this current standdown," said Stahl. "Today's training gets all hands - officers, enlisted and civilians together to understand the importance of fostering a command climate where sexual assault is not tolerated, where Sailors intervene to prevent inappropriate behavior, where victims are supported and offenders are held accountable."

One of the facilitators for the training was NETC Force Master Chief Jon Port, who stressed that focusing on character traits that help prevent sexual assault and harassment is crucial to the future of the Navy.

"For the last 10 years, we've focused on competency; on warfighting," said Port. "Now we must also focus on character and our core values bringing back the balance between competency and character. We're giving our young Sailors a better chance to change their behavior with the tools we are giving them early in their careers, like Bystander Intervention and SAPR Fleet training in Recruit Training Command.

"The SAPR challenge is here to stay," continued Port. "We bring in 1,000 new recruits each week at Recruit Training Command in Great Lakes and the NETC domain is around 46,000 people on any given day. We must get to the left of this problem and stay ahead of it - as our common goal. The only way to do that is to focus on character and core values from the first day in the Navy and to continue focusing on competency with character every day thereafter. With this effort, we can stamp out sexual assaults and harassment in our Navy."

Get more information and resources to combat sexual assault at http://www.sapr.navy.mil. Sexual assault affects Navy readiness, and the Navy is committed to preventing sexual assault. Join the Navy's conversation about sexual assault on social media and help raise awareness by using #NavySAPR.

For additional information about the Naval Education and Training Command, visit https://www.netc.navy.mil.

For more news from Naval Education and Training Command, visit www.navy.mil/local/cnet/.