Center for Naval Aviation Technical Training Unit (CNATTU) North Island students and staff recognized Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month (SAAPM) by participating in various activities during the month of April.

The U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) adopted the theme "Protecting Our People Protects Our Mission" for the 2018 observance designed to improve outreach and support sexual assault victims while expanding prevention efforts.

"With the amount of students we see going through our classrooms, and with many of them quite junior, it's imperative to have this kind of training and exposure to something like this from day one," said Senior Chief Aviation Electronics Technician Luis Batrez, a sexual assault prevention and response (SAPR) victim advocate. "CNATTU North Island staff are not only getting their students ready for duty around the world as aircraft maintainers, they're also helping junior service members understand and recognize Navy values, of which sexual assault prevention and response is part."

The command held numerous activities throughout April to reinforce the SAAPM message and posted sexual assault prevention techniques and SAPR victim advocate team contact information throughout the common areas.

A command-wide gathering April 20 attended by Navy Region Southwest Sexual Assault Response Coordinator Kelly Smith stressed the importance of working together both individually and as a command to eliminate sexual assault in the DOD.

"[Smith's] talk was informative to the command," Batrez said. "We need to ensure our Sailors and Marines are trained and knowledgeable of sexual assault prevention and response techniques, and continue to press forward to ensure that each and every Sailor or Marine knows that this is a crime and something the Navy and Marine Corps take quite seriously."

The command's Sergeant/Second Class Petty Officer Association organized a potluck and led team-building events to reinforce camaraderie and unit cohesion following the all-hands call.

Individual CNATTU North Island military training unit's also observed Denim Day April 25, and several service members and staff participated in the Naval Air Station North Island 5K April 27.

CNATTU North Island is a training unit of the Center for Naval Aviation Technical Training (CNATT) located at Naval Air Station Pensacola. CNATT develops, delivers and supports aviation technical training at 28 sites located throughout the continental United States and Japan.

CNATT is a technical training agent for the Naval Aviation Enterprise, an organization designed to advance and sustain naval aviation warfighting capabilities at an affordable cost under Naval Education and Training Command.


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