Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month Proclamation Signed at Fort Meade

FORT MEADE, Md. (NNS) -- The executive officer of Navy Information Operations Command (NIOC) Md., and other senior leaders representing the military services from the Fort George G. Meade community, signed a proclamation declaring April as Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month (SAAPM) during a ceremony April 2.

Cmdr. Rachel Velasco-Lind, executive officer NIOC Md., signed the proclamation along with Army Col. Edward Rothstein, garrison commander of Fort Meade; Air Force Col. Mary O'Brien commander of the 70th Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Wing; and Marine Maj. Devin Rullman, executive officer Marine Cryptologic Support Battalion.

"We have to make sure our Sailors have a place to go if something happens," said Velasco-Lind. "Also, we have to encourage our Sailors to be the bystanders that intervene to help a shipmate in need."

The Navy's theme for the month is "Courage" and will support the Department of Defense's theme of "We own it...we'll solve it ...together." The goal is to empower commands to take ownership of this problem.

"It is important for the Navy to recognize SAAPM because sexual assault is an issue that hits at the core of who we are as a service." said Elizabeth Blanc, Navy sexual assault response coordinator. "It impacts our fellow Sailors and service members and negatively impacts victims, family members, friends, co-workers, overall commands and the Navy as a whole."

Each week, the Navy will highlight a subtheme - courage to learn, courage to prevent, courage to intervene, courage to support and courage to commit.

"I hope Sailors take away from this month an understanding of the role that they can play in the prevention of sexual assault," said Blanc. "As well as, how important having an understanding of the resources available can be so that they can effectively support a friend or fellow Sailor who may have experienced a sexual assault."

Blanc said the Navy will only begin to effectively address the issue of sexual assault when everyone steps up and has the courage to get engaged in this issue.

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. The Department of the Navy is working to aggressively to prevent sexual assaults, to support sexual assault victims, and to hold offenders accountable.

Help raise awareness by joining the conversation on social media using #SexualAssault and #SAAPM.

NIOC Maryland is a subordinate command of FLTCYBERCOM and comprises Task Force 1060 of the U.S. 10th Fleet.

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