"Know your part. Do your part" is a phrase that has been heard around the amphibious transport dock ship USS New Orleans (LPD 18) many times throughout the month of April.

It is the theme of 2016's Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month, and New Orleans, along with the rest of the fleet, is doing its part to stomp out sexual assault in the Navy.

Sailors and Marines have been receiving useful education and training throughout the month explaining how to prevent sexual assault, respond appropriately in the event of a sexual assault, and how to educate their peers on bystander intervention and prevention.

Chief Ship's Serviceman Tharon Smith has been a victim advocate for three and a half years, and is the chief point of contact for the victim advocates aboard New Orleans. Throughout April, he has been disseminating information about SAAPM and its critical importance to the fleet and Sailors.

"We have SAAPM so we can spotlight the problem of sexual assault," said Smith. "Our efforts throughout the fleet have reduced sexual assaults in the Navy, but our goal as always is to eliminate sexual assault all together."

In his 2016 SAAPM Proclamation, President Barack Obama indicated that it is not just our job within the military to work to eliminate sexual assault, but our job as Americans.

"As employers, educators, parents and friends, all Americans have an obligation to uphold the basic principal that every individual should be free from violence and fear," the proclamation said.

This point has been reiterated on board New Orleans throughout the month. Various iterations of bystander intervention, sexual assault prevention, and sexual assault awareness training have been conducted to hit home the importance of this month and to reinforce the commitment to stopping sexual assault all together.

USS New Orleans is part of the Boxer Amphibious Ready Group and, with the embarked 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit, is deployed in support of maritime security operations and theatre security cooperation efforts in the 5th Fleet area of operations.

For more information on the New Orleans, visit http://www.facebook.com/BigEasy18

For more news from COMPHIBRON ONE, visit http://www.navy.mil/.