Photo By Marcelo Joniaux | Seletha Willis (l), Navy Sexual Assault Response Coordinator, and RADM Rebecca...... read more read more
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Five JBSA leaders representing the five military services showed their support for sexual assault survivors and urged active-duty members and government civilians to take action against sexual assault, signing a proclamation during the event that kicked off SAAP Month.
Signing the proclamation were Rear Adm. Rebecca McCormick-Boyle, NMETLC commander; Air Force Brig. Gen. Heather Pringle, 502nd Air Base Wing and JBSA commander; Robert Naething, U.S. Army North (Fifth Army) deputy to the commanding general; Marine Corps Lt. Col. Jeffery Buffa, 4th Reconnaissance Battalion commanding officer; and Coast Guard Cmdr. Marc Akus, Coast Guard Cryptologic Unit Texas commanding officer.
The proclamation ceremony included remarks from McCormick-Boyle, Pringle and Naething. A JBSA-produced video with military and civilian representatives from the five services encouraged JBSA members to be “unafraid” to prevent and report sexual assault, and stand up for and support sexual-assault survivors.
Pringle provided opening remarks, saying it will take the efforts of all active-duty members and civilian employees to prevent and stop sexual assault.
Naething followed Pringle’s remarks, describing how sexual assault goes against military values, is detrimental to teamwork and mission preparedness, and requires military leaders create a command climate that makes sexual assault unacceptable.
Following Naething’s remarks, McCormick-Boyle and the JBSA leaders representing the military services presented outstanding service awards to Navy, Army and Air Force members.
Sailors awarded were Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class PaulJames Johnson from NMETLC, Hospital Corpsman 1st Class Elizabeth Stack from Navy Medicine Training Support Center, and Machinist Mate 1st Class Charmaine Jackson-Ross from the Master At Arms “A” School, the Navy Technical Training Center. Jackson-Ross was awarded the prestigious Shelley Botello Compassionate Servant Award, named for the Sexual Assault Response/Forensic Team clinical supervisor at a San Antonio hospital who provided sexual assault forensic examinations for sexual assault survivors, including military members. Botello died in January 2016.
The JBSA Navy sexual assault response coordinator (SAPR), Seletha Willis, followed, sharing her personal story as a sexual assault survivor.
Willis was sexually abused by her uncle and cousin when she was 6, abuse that continued until she reached 13. Upon learning of the abuse, Willis said the remainder of her family made her feel ashamed, her mother beat her, and her father stopped talking to her. The experience led to three suicide attempts.
Willis went on to endure a marriage filled with verbal and emotional abuse from her excessively controlling now ex-husband. Her life experiences led her to consider his abuse normal. She also faced multiple health problems, including bone cancer and fibromyalgia, a common and complex chronic pain disorder that affects people physically, mentally and socially.
Overcoming those hardships, Willis worked as a Child Victim Advocate with the Valdosta, Georgia, district attorney’s office before becoming a sexual assault victim advocate for the Army in 2009. In 2012, she joined the JBSA SAPR team as the Navy’s area sexual assault response coordinator in 2012. Willis said her experiences as a sexual assault survivor inspired her to help other sexual assault survivors.
“I look back at my journey over the years,” Willis said. “I understand why God has spared my life. I understand my purpose and embrace it. If I hadn’t gone through the childhood trauma, I wouldn’t understand how to empathize with victims during their childhood sexual assault or domestic violence. Most importantly, I know and understand that God wasn’t punishing me. He was strengthening me to be a person someone can lean on when they’re in a weary place.”
Willis said her healing process is ongoing and her faith continues to sustain her.
“I have my victory,” she said. “My hope is that my story can help at least one person see there is a light at the end of the darkness.”
The ceremonial proclamation signing was next, followed by McCormick-Boyle’s closing comments. McCormick-Boyle said she was moved by Willis’ comments and the volunteer actions of San Antonio area military and civilian staff. She thanked the participants and volunteers, reminding the attendees to remain personally involved in stopping the criminal acts of sexual assault. She also thanked Willis for sharing her story with the JBSA community.
“It’s an incredible story,” McCormick-Boyle said. “Each one of us, we can learn and grow from that story.”
| Date Taken: | 04.03.2018 |
| Date Posted: | 04.10.2018 13:08 |
| Story ID: | 272471 |
| Location: | SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS, US |
| Web Views: | 185 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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