April is Sexual Assault Prevention Month

  • Published
  • By SrA. Alexander Brown
  • 439th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
WESTOVER AIR RESERVE BASE, Mass. --  EDITOR'S NOTE: Because of the nature of the following article, the name of the alleged victim is withheld. The 452nd Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs Office at March ARB, Calif., contributed to this story.

The Air Force's Sexual Assault prevention program wasn't in place in 1994 when a March ARB senior NCO says she was raped by a coworker. Instead, she kept quiet.

"I truly believe that if we had a SARC I would have gone to them," she said.

While a young senior airman stationed on active duty at March, she was asked out on a date by a technical sergeant. She met him at the bar, had two glasses of wine and they sat and talked.

"We had a lot in common and shared many of the same interests. He said, 'I know you are very athletic and you watch sports and stuff, why don't you come back to my place and we watch a movie?'"

She went. While there, he began to make physical advances.

"I said no, and he said 'oh over to my place and you don't want to.' I went to get up to leave and he followed me to the door and tackled me - he just pulled my pants down and had his way with me. I was trying to fight him and saying no. I was crying the whole time."

When her attacker finished, she ran home in tears.

She decided not to go the base hospital. Instead, she chose a local community hospital where she sat for about six hours. A police officer and a counselor were brought in and asked her to give names.

She declined.

"I have just seen so many times that it's always a woman's fault and I wasn't willing to do that. I was one of maybe two women out of 80 men in the squadron and I was afraid that it would turn against me. Ten years of active duty being in a predominately male arena, it had always been about drinking and sex. I love serving my country and I just felt that was the way it was and to have a career in the military you just had to accept it."

This type of situation happens far too often, said Maj. Carrie Baker, Westover's sexual assault response coordinator. She said that every two minutes in the United States someone is sexual assaulted, which adds up to 207,754 people a year.

Unfortunately, that means many Airmen experience situations similar the female Airmen in this story. Many will never seek help.

"Just this week an Airman came in to my office only after being directed to by friends," said Maj. Baker. "We are a safe place anyone can come to for support; there is never any reason to feel alone."

To help raise awareness of this support, the Air Force named April as Sexual Assault Prevention Month.

"The month of April helps Airmen by reinforcing our military culture to change for the better," said Maj. Baker. "Sexual assault is a crime and will not be tolerated."

Sexual Assault Prevention Month is designed to educate everyone on how to deal with the signs of sexual assault or how to prevent possible attacks by knowing what to do if you are a bystander, she said.

According to the Air Force Personnel Command website, sexual assault is defined as intentional sexual contact when the victim does not, or cannot, give consent. The use of force, threats, intimidation or abuse of authority to engage in sexual conduct are unacceptable, punishable behaviors, contradictory to Air Force core values. Lack of verbal or physical resistance does not constitute consent.

"Everyone has a part to play in making social changes and establishing what is acceptable," said Maj. Baker.

Through the sexual assault prevention program, the Air Force affords every Airmen access to safe and confidential reporting of sexual crimes.

If you've been sexually assaulted, or if you want to learn more about the program, contact Maj. Baker at 557-2623, or visit the DOD Safe Helpline website at https://safehelpline.org/.