Photo By Sgt. Gavin Ching | From left, U.S. Army Pfc. Jason Klaer, a public affairs mass communications specialist...... read more read more
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BOLESLAWIEC, Poland – From educational fun runs to wearing denim, U.S. Soldiers deployed overseas on forward operating site (FOS) Boleslawiec showed their continued support for Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention month (SAAPM) at Boleslawiec, Poland, April 26, 2023.
April is SAAPM and Soldiers were able to come together and spread awareness for Sexual Harassment/Assault Response and Prevention (SHARP) program. The number one goal of this program is to eliminate sexual harassment and assault by creating a climate that respects the dignity of every member of the Army family.
“It is a month we recognize in the SHARP community to spread awareness, conduct training and educate people on current issues at hand,” said Sgt. 1st Class Vance I. Young, a combat engineer as well the division sexual assault response coordinator with the 4th Infantry Division.
From duty stations back home in the United states or overseas in a deployed environment, spreading awareness on sexual harassment and assault does not end for U.S. Soldiers.
“It is important to bring awareness to sexual assault in a deployed environment because it ensures that Soldiers know that they have options and support and that we are not just looking over it,” said 1st Lt. Isabella Wells, a chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear officer with the U.S. Army Garrison Poland who is also a victim advocate.
For Young, spreading awareness while deployed is especially important because Soldiers are not operating in the norm of American society.
“Being away from home can cause people to feel stressed, which can lead to bad decision making,” said Young.
For U.S. Soldiers on FOS Boleslawiec, various events such as a fun run, tie dye shirt making and the ability to wear denim on the 26th were organized to not only bring awareness to SHARP but bring Soldiers together.
“We are hoping between the fun run and what Denim Day stands for, Soldiers can spread that knowledge to others and create a better environment for everyone,” said Young.
In 1998, an Italian Supreme Court overturned a rape conviction because the victim wore tight denim jeans. So to raise awareness of sexual harassment and assault, we wear denim to support the victims.
“All the events are important because they all educate our Soldiers on the SHARP program and what we as an Army are trying to do to help prevent incidents from occurring in the first place,” said Young.
Wells states that topics like sexual assault and harassment are not talked about a lot so having events like tie dye day, denim day and the fun run provides options for Soldiers to be involved.
“Just getting people in a group and having fun ways to talk about things makes a bigger impact than just sitting in front of a power point presentation,” said Young.
Young mentions the theme for SAAPM this year is “Intervene, We Are a Team: there is US in trust, can they trust in you?” which is geared towards bystander intervention as well as approachability of leadership.
“Ultimately everything we do in the Army is based on making good teams in the formation to tackle the mission,” said Young. “Stopping inappropriate sexual behavior is the building block that will increase that trust across the formation.”
For Wells, the theme this year means that teamwork and trust ensures Soldiers have a place to go and be heard.
“Especially in a deployed environment, a lot of Soldiers can feel trapped or feel like they do not have anywhere to go,” said Wells. “So talking about it, making it normalized, knowing where to go and who to talk to is super important.”
Taking the time to recognize and support SAAPM normalizes a difficult conversation and provides a space to talk about the issues that affect everyone serving.
“When sexual assault happens across the force, it not only affects the Soldier who was assaulted, but it can hurt the units and community as well,” said Young. “It is important for Soldiers to understand the everlasting effects of sexual assault so we can try to get people to be more empathetic with each other.”
| Date Taken: | 04.26.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 05.04.2023 14:38 |
| Story ID: | 443806 |
| Location: | BOLESLAWIEC, PL |
| Web Views: | 201 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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