Fort Bliss Monitor

Troop Talk

Sexual assault in the military is of concern to all leaders. It is an insidious and dastardly attack on the unsuspecting victim who could be directly attacked or a more persuasive method of coercion could be used by the perpetrator. This kind of behavior is unacceptable and will not be tolerated. It impacts on readiness, lowers morale within the unit and will psychologically scar the victim for years to come without proper intervention. A major issue was the stigma military members felt overshadowed them when abuse was reported and for this reason, many cases of assault were not reported.

This concern was also shared by senior civilian and military leaders in the Department of Defense. The consensus of senior leaders led to the conclusion that a far reaching and new approach to the issue of sexual harassment needed to be addressed. This led to the Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Program which is being implemented on all military installations.

Several articles have appeared in The Monitor about this initiative, but I want to make sure everyone understands that the SAPR program is here to help the victims and to create an awareness among all Soldier of the options available. The program was initiated here in August and provides active duty servicemembers who are sexually assaulted by an acquaintance or non-family member, with a victim advocate and support services on and off the installation.

The program as conceived is revolutionary as it allows victims to report sexual assault in two ways: restricted or unrestricted. The unrestricted option is recommended for victims of sexual assault who desire medical treatment, counseling and an official investigation of the crime. This option may cause some victims to be reluctant to report an assault. Therefore, the second option is restricted and is recommended for victims of sexual assault who wish to confidentially disclose the crime to specifically identified individuals (SARC, medical treatment facility, victim advocate, the chaplain) and receive medical treatment and counseling without triggering the official investigative process. The SAPR program also provides annual sexual assault awareness education required by regulation.

The program also provides unit sexual assault victim advocates trained to provide victims with support and services. The SAUVA is an active duty Soldier selected at the battalion level. These soldiers attend a one week training course before taking on the task of a victim advocate. The program has been well received and there are currently 73 SAUVAs in various units trained to provide support services to victims of sexual assault. The SAPR program also has provisions for brigade selected deployable sexual assault response coordinators who will manage the program if a sexual assault occurs in theater. There are selected Soldiers who go through an additional three-days of training. Ten soldiers have been certified as DSARCs.

The Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Program is a 24-hour, 7-day-a-week program. Victims of sexual assault may contact the installation hotline number at any time to report a sexual assault. The 24/7 hotline number is 490-3896. To schedule your unit’s annual training call 568-5658 or 569-7755.

Brig. Gen. Robert P. Lennox
Fort Bliss Commanding General



www.bliss.army.mil	Published for the Fort Bliss/El Paso, Texas Community	November 17, 2005

	Troop Talk Sexual assault in the military is of concern to all leaders. It is an insidious and dastardly attack on the unsuspecting victim who could be directly attacked or a more persuasive method of coercion could be used by the perpetrator. This kind of behavior is unacceptable and will not be tolerated. It impacts on readiness, lowers morale within the unit and will psychologically scar the victim for years to come without proper intervention. A major issue was the stigma military members felt overshadowed them when abuse was reported and for this reason, many cases of assault were not reported. This concern was also shared by senior civilian and military leaders in the Department of Defense. The consensus of senior leaders led to the conclusion that a far reaching and new approach to the issue of sexual harassment needed to be addressed. This led to the Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Program which is being implemented on all military installations. Several articles have appeared in The Monitor about this initiative, but I want to make sure everyone understands that the SAPR program is here to help the victims and to create an awareness among all Soldier of the options available. The program was initiated here in August and provides active duty servicemembers who are sexually assaulted by an acquaintance or non-family member, with a victim advocate and support services on and off the installation. The program as conceived is revolutionary as it allows victims to report sexual assault in two ways: restricted or unrestricted. The unrestricted option is recommended for victims of sexual assault who desire medical treatment, counseling and an official investigation of the crime. This option may cause some victims to be reluctant to report an assault. Therefore, the second option is restricted and is recommended for victims of sexual assault who wish to confidentially disclose the crime to specifically identified individuals (SARC, medical treatment facility, victim advocate, the chaplain) and receive medical treatment and counseling without triggering the official investigative process. The SAPR program also provides annual sexual assault awareness education required by regulation. The program also provides unit sexual assault victim advocates trained to provide victims with support and services. The SAUVA is an active duty Soldier selected at the battalion level. These soldiers attend a one week training course before taking on the task of a victim advocate. The program has been well received and there are currently 73 SAUVAs in various units trained to provide support services to victims of sexual assault. The SAPR program also has provisions for brigade selected deployable sexual assault response coordinators who will manage the program if a sexual assault occurs in theater. There are selected Soldiers who go through an additional three-days of training. Ten soldiers have been certified as DSARCs. The Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Program is a 24-hour, 7-day-a-week program. Victims of sexual assault may contact the installation hotline number at any time to report a sexual assault. The 24/7 hotline number is 490-3896. To schedule your unit’s annual training call 568-5658 or 569-7755. Brig. Gen. Robert P. Lennox Fort Bliss Commanding General