Members of Commander, Naval Air Force Atlantic (CNAL) participated in the "Walk-A-Mile in Their Shoes" Sexual Assault Prevention and Response (SAPR) event aboard Naval Support Activity (NSA) Hampton Roads April 19.

The event was held in support of this year's Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month (SAAPM), which is held every year in April. This year's SAAPM theme is "Protecting Our People Protects Our Mission."

Sailors and civilians gathered on the field in front of the Joint Forces Staff College beneath a cloudy sky to participate in the event, the purpose of which was to show the "steps" that a victim of sexual assault will encounter. Different stations were set up and each gave information from a subject matter expert to inform guests of what the process may look like when reporting a sexual assault.

Among the participants were Sailors from commands all across NSA Hampton Roads, including U.S. Fleet Forces Command, Commander, Submarine Force Atlantic and CNAL. Also present at the event were representatives from Naval Medical Center Portsmouth, the CNAL Judge Advocate General and the regional civilian sexual assault response coordinator.

Capt. Brian Knowles, the SAPR Officer at CNAL, gave opening remarks to start the event, thanking the participants for attending.

"I think the most important part of this equation is you all," said Knowles. "Specifically in that you are willing to come out and take this conversation to the break rooms, to the office spaces, to the deck plates and talk about it in small groups, in intimate settings and talk about it from the perspective of 'we can make this go away.'"

This event was just one of the many events held in support of SAAPM. Other events included the signing of the proclamation and the SAPR Awareness Multi-Cultural Event Brief. CNAL also encouraged civilians within the command to participate in "Teal Tuesdays," where they could show their support for sexual assault awareness and prevention by wearing teal.

NSA Hampton Roads will also host a SAPR Teal Ribbon 5k run April 28.

For information and resources for SAAPM visit http://www.sapr.mil/index.php/saapm.

For more information, visit www.navy.mil, www.facebook.com/usnavy, or www.twitter.com/usnavy.

For more news from Commander, Naval Air Force Atlantic, visit www.navy.mil/.