#SAAM Navy Cyber Forces, NETWARCOM Receive Training About Sexual Assault Prevention

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (NNS) -- Sailors from Navy Cyber Forces (NCF) and Naval Network Warfare Command were reminded that helping prevent sexual assault is their duty during an all-hands sexual assault prevention training session at the Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek/Fort Story theater, April 23.

The training is the highlight of NCF's monthlong Sexual Assault Awareness Month. Sailors and civilians at NCF decorated T-shirts and wore teal ribbons April 13. And, during a command grounds cleanup April 20, members wore blue jeans to support sexual assault awareness.

"We want to remind people that they can't be afraid of reporting sexual assaults," said Chief Information Systems Technician Shannel Hill, NCF Sexual Assault Prevention and Response (SAPR) Program manager. "This training is to remind people that it's our duty to prevent sexual assaults. The entire month of April is meant to remind people that sexual assaults are not tolerated, but when they happen, it's our duty to make certain the victims are taken care of and that it gets reported."

Subject matter experts from the Navy Fleet and Family Support Center (FFSC) facilitated a two-hour training and discussion on topics that included defining sexual harassment, defining sexual assault, restricted and unrestricted rape and assault report, and bystander intervention. They facilitated the discussion by sharing statistics about sexual assault:

*Every two minutes, someone in the U.S. is sexually assaulted.

*Rape is about controlling the victim, not sex.

*One in six women has experienced an attempted or completed rape in her lifetime.

*The Navy averages two sexual assaults reported each day.

*FFSC Norfolk managed 134 Sexual Assault cases in FY 11.

*Out of those, 101 were Sailor on Sailor; 51 were within the victim's command.

*The Navy spent $19 million on courts-martial in 2010 for sexual assault cases.

*Alcohol was involved in almost half of the FY 10 Navy reports.

NCF members were reminded of a new Navy instruction that states security clearances cannot be revoked due to any treatment related to a sexual assault, including mental health services, so there is no reason to avoid coming forward after being the victim of a sexual assault.

"If the command isn't aware of an assault, it can't fix it, and morale will erode," said NCF Equal Opportunity Advisor, Senior Chief Intelligence Specialist Roger Hughes. "We must stop sexual assaults and encourage Sailors who have been assaulted to report them."

The Department of Defense operates an anonymous, confidential, 24/7 helpline in cooperation with the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network: (877) 995-5247, or text 55-247. Navy Cyber Forces also has a SAPR network of victim advocates who keep all information confidential. In addition, any active duty member can seek confidential help through any Navy Chaplain, medical professional or the professionals at any Fleet and Family Service Center.

The most important fact given at the training: prevent sexual assaults and have the courage to intervene and report.

"Sexual Assault awareness and prevention doesn't end with today's training," Commander, Navy Cyber Forces, Rear Adm. Gretchen Herbert said. "This is only the first step in our collective efforts to eliminate any instances of sexual assault from occurring within our Navy and Navy families. Anything less is a disservice to our Shipmates, and to our very ethos."

Sexual Assault Prevention and Response is an important element of the readiness area 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.

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