Army Central Sexual Assault Response Coordinators (SARC’s) teamed up recently to discuss ways to better develop the Army Sexual Harassment and Assault Response and Prevention (SHARP) Program and discuss challenges currently being faced within the CENTCOM Theater.
Nearly a dozen SHARP Professionals, including 111th Theater Engineer Brigade Soldiers, joined together with Dr. Alicia Rodriguez, the ARCENT SHARP Program Manager, and Sgt. Maj. Carrie Kwiatkowski, the Task Force Spartan SARC, for the meeting on September 23, 2021 on Camp Buehring, Kuwait.
In attendance at the professional forum was Cpt. Travis Nesbitt, the 111th Theater Engineer Brigade SARC, along with two 111th Victim Advocates (VA), Master Sgt. Fred Campbell and Sgt. First Class Ben Lindsey.
“Having professional forums where SARC’s can come together and collaborate is extremely beneficial,” said Nesbitt. “A deployed environment is very different than a traditional stateside environment when it comes to the SHARP program so having someone like Sgt. Maj. Kwiatkowski with her vast knowledge and experience in the program is crucial for me to be able to succeed as a SARC while deployed.”
As the Brigade SARC, Nesbitt’s duties and responsibilities span over seven countries encompassing more than 1,000 Soldiers.
Stateside, SARC’s and VA’s traditionally have the Soldiers they are responsible for within immediate reach if necessary. While deployed, this is no longer the case, therefore creating challenges at times.
“One of Lt. Gen. Clark’s three priorities for the SHARP program is taking care of you all (SARCs and VA’s) that are taking care of the Soldiers in their most critical time,” Kwiatkowski told the SARC’s during the forum. “As the ARCENT SHARP Program Manager, Dr. Rodriguez came to see firsthand the challenges that our SHARP professionals face while in a deployed environment.”
Nesbitt believes that by having Rodriguez come to Kuwait and hear from the SARC’s that the program is moving in the right direction and his confidence level in the leadership continues to improve.
“To have Dr. Rodriguez come and hear the challenges that we face every day feels like, as a SARC, that our voice is truly being heard,” said Nesbitt. “The SHARP program is still being faced with challenges and since the beginning of this deployment I can tell that Task Force Spartan and ARCENT are taking these challenges seriously and are working on them.”
Date Taken: | 10.10.2021 |
Date Posted: | 10.10.2021 08:54 |
Story ID: | 407063 |
Location: | CAMP BUEHRING, KW |
Web Views: | 358 |
Downloads: | 0 |
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