Photo By Wayne Hall | Pennsylvania National Guard Deputy Adjutant General-Army, Brig. Gen. Laura A. McHugh...... read more read more
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This year the marks the 23rd anniversary of April being set aside to increase awareness of sexual violence across the nation and throughout the Department of Defense, raising awareness of sexual violence can have a significant impact on everyone, as well as a positive impact on military readiness.
During a SHARP (Sexual Harassment/Assault Prevention) Foundation Course, conducted at the 166th Regiment Regional Training Institute here, Pennsylvania National Guard Deputy Adjutant General-Army, Brig. Gen. Laura A. McHugh addressed students and presented a “Sexual Assault Awareness Month” proclamation from Gov. Josh Shapiro.
“Despite strides in awareness, sexual violence remains alarmingly unreported in the Unted States, exerting enduring detrimental effects on survivors’ mental and physical wellbeing,” according to Shapiro’s proclamation, read by 1st Lt. Casey Sullivan of 1st Battalion, 109th Field Artillery Regiment, who is a student in the course.
“The Department of Defense recorded 8,942 reports of military sexual assault in 2022, with the Department of Veterans Affairs revealing that 1 in 3 women veterans and 1 in 50 male veterans have experienced Military Sexual Trauma, underscoring the urgent need to amplify awareness and ensure access to resources available through the VA, DMVA (Pennsylvania Department of Military and Veterans Affairs), and County Directors of Veterans Affairs,” according to the proclamation.
Military leadership has been reinforcing efforts to increase awareness at all levels, as the people who are often able to prevent sexual harassment or assault are those closest to the victims.
“When I go out and talk to folks, I usually talk about readiness, I’ll talk about strength and I’ll talk about misconduct,” McHugh said. “Addressing things at the lowest level so that it doesn’t get to my level, because when it gets to my level then it’s pretty bad. And I’ll tell you that there’s zero tolerance!”
She stressed to the students that taking on the additional duties of a collateral duty victim advocate, which they will be after completing this course, will give them a different perspective and help make them more observant to things they maybe wouldn’t be.
McHugh also said that she feels the military taking sexual assault cases out of command channels is a good thing, and that National Guard Bureau’s Office of Complex Investigations serves Guard members well.
“Pennsylvania’s a big state, so you may have a sexual assault in Philadelphia and those guys are busy,” said McHugh, demonstrating how OCI works. “We all know that in the military a pat on someone’s private part can be considered sexual assault, the to the Philadelphia Police Department they may say I’ve got three murders I’m investigating and don’t have the time to investigate [the sexual assault allegation].
“That’s fine, then just do a memo saying you’re not going to investigate,” she said. “And we turn around and automatically, without a doubt, we go to OCI and we get a trained investigator from the Office of Complex Investigations to come in, and they’re not from Pennsylvania.”
Regardless of how vigorous the investigative process is, and the level of success it has, defeating sexual harassment and assault cannot happen if victims don’t feel safe enough to come forward a make a report. That’s where victim advocates come in, they provide essential support, liaison services, and care to victims.
Victim advocates are available anytime of the day or night to help victims identify needs, address issues, and protect them from further trauma by helping them to prepare for interviews, examinations, and by ensuring their safety.
| Date Taken: | 04.09.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 04.09.2024 14:29 |
| Story ID: | 468157 |
| Location: | FORT INDIANTOWN GAP, PENNSYLVANIA, US |
| Web Views: | 75 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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