Photo By Brian Lamar | Staff Sgt. Crystal Jones, a reservist with the 403rd Force Support Squadron at Keesler...... read more read more
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KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. -- The word "patience" is imprinted on the front of a small, flat brown rock she holds in her hand.
Staff Sgt. Crystal Jones, a 403rd Wing victim advocate, received the rock from the 81st Training Wing Sexual Assault Prevention Response Office when she completed her victim advocate certification training and carries it with her everywhere she goes.
"Every victim advocate gets a rock, and every rock has something different; mine is patience," said Jones who provides support, liaison services and care to victims of sexual assault. "I need to have patience with people and that our culture will change."
Patience was her virtue during the wing stand-down day last year, which was directed by the Secretary of Defense and top Air Force leaders. The event focused on sexual assault and prevention as part of the Air Force's Sexual Assault Prevention and Response program, which was established Department of Defense-wide in 2005.
Jones was tasked with educating reservists about sexual assault and emphasizing the wingman concept of caring for each other, prevention techniques, proper victim care and the reporting process.
"As reservists we all have demands on our time trying to get everything done in just 16 hours, and for some people this was just one more training to accomplish," said Jones. "So, I was frustrated by some member's responses during the event.
"Many people don't think about this issue until it hits home; and, when it does happen some people won't remember anything from the briefing other than it took up an hour of their time," she said. "I want people to care now so they can help prevent a sexual assault from ever happening, and know what to do if it ever does."
Sexual assault is an issue nationwide and in the military. The statistics speak for themselves.
An American is sexually assaulted every two minutes, according to the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network. One in five women and one in 71 men will be raped at some point in their lives, according to the National Sexual Violence Resource Center. Last year, there was a 46 percent increase in sexual assault reports in the military, according to the Department of Defense. There were more reports of sexual assault in the first three quarters of fiscal year 2013 than the 3,374 reported in all of 2012. DoD officials believe the increase in reports is due to the fact that Airmen have more confidence in the DoD system for handling assaults, and Airmen are reporting assaults that occured prior to joining the service.
Each installation has a Sexual Assault Response coordinator and victim advocates to assist sexual assault victims. The SARC reports to the base commander and oversees the installation SAPR office. This office is also responsible for providing sexual assault prevention training annually to installation personnel. Victim advocates assist with this training.
Additionally, victim advocates such as Jones provide crisis intervention, referral and non-clinical support as well as provide the victim with resources to assist them in making informed decisions about their case. One of the first decisions a victim has to make is whether to file a restricted or unrestricted report.
Restricted reporting allows sexual assault victims to get medical treatment and counseling without notifying their chain of command. The member can change their case to unrestricted reporting at any time. When this occurs, the member's chain of command is notified and it initiates an investigation.
Reservists must be in status if they would like to make a restricted report, said Barry Newman, 81st TRW SAPR program specialist.
Another unique aspect for reservists is that after the Unit Training Assembly many don't stay in the local area. The 1,700 reservists in the wing live in more than 30 different states.
"A reservist who's been assaulted has to go back home and function in their everyday life," said Jones, a 403rd Force Support Squadron services craftsman who volunteered to become a victim advocate two years ago after watching the difference her supervisor made doing the same job. "If that person isn't local, it's the victim advocate's job to partner that person with the appropriate agencies in their home state. To get them the mental help that they need and any other assistance that may come with that. Now, when a member is assaulted there is a line of duty determination established so a reservist can go to the local Veteran Affairs agency and still get continuous assistance and counseling."
While not a counselor, Jones describes herself as a victim's "crutch, cheerleader, and a shoulder to cry on."
"As a victim advocate we are on call 24-7 to be there for wing members in the event someone is sexually assaulted," said Maj. Burdette Price, the 403rd Wing SAPR liaison and victim advocate. Price coordinates services and support for the wing through the installation SARC and SAPR Office. "And if it does, we want that member to know they are not alone."
The wing's goal is to have a victim advocate in every unit, said Price, a nurse with the 403rd Aeromedical Staging Squadron. Currently, Price and Jones are the wing's only victim advocates. Price, who has been the wing SARC for three years, is transferring to Barksdale AFB, La., this month. Her replacement is Lt. Col. Louise Usher, 403rd ASTS nurse.
To become a victim advocate an individual must be nominated by their supervisor and their commander, she said. They undergo an interview with leadership and the installation SARC. If selected, the individual must complete the DoD certification program.
The job isn't for everyone, said Price.
"It's a taxing job, and you have to have your mind in a good place in order to be able to help someone else," said the major. "That's why that training is so important."
Although challenging, being a victim advocate is a rewarding experience for Jones and Price.
"It's rewarding when you see the victim come out of their shell and tell their story in front of room full of people," said Jones. "You see them come from this shaken person where every other word is bringing tears to their eyes to getting the help they need to become a productive person again."
For Price, her reward is creating awareness about the impact of sexual assault and the importance of the SAPR program.
"I appreciate when I get feedback after a class because I knew they were listening, and they are concerned and want the statistics to go down," said Price.
Sexual assault prevention is just one aspect of being a good wingman, said Price.
"We depend on each other in our daily jobs in Air Force, and we should not leave anyone behind or criticize someone if they have been assaulted," she said. "That's the biggest stigma with people coming forward is the fear of being criticized or having their job in jeopardy. My philosophy is we have to protect each other."
Help is always available for the victims of sexual assault. Information on the Keesler SAPR can be found at: http://www.keesler.af.mil/keeslersapr/
To report an assault, call the SARC hotline at 228-377-7278 or Jones at 228-377-3885.
| Date Taken: | 01.22.2014 |
| Date Posted: | 01.25.2017 13:54 |
| Story ID: | 221306 |
| Location: | KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, MISSISSIPPI, US |
| Web Views: | 67 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Victim advocates: A resource for sexual assault survivors, by Marnee Losurdo, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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