Photo By Senior Airman Trevor Gordnier | Senior Airman Chelsea Rae Romero, 319th Operations Support Squadron air traffic...... read more read more
Subscribe
GRAND FORKS AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. – The 319th Reconnaissance Wing became of the few bases in Air Combat Command to reinstate the Volunteer Victim Advocate program following their initial training Feb. 24-28, 2025. The VVA program allows military personnel to step into critical advocacy roles for survivors of sexual harassment and assault.
The program provides specialized training to equip volunteers with the knowledge and skills necessary to offer confidential support, guidance and resources to survivors in need.
“This training is about more than just education, it’s about building a culture of trust and support within our ranks,” said Carly Daniel, sexual assault response coordinator for the 319th RW. “We want service members to know that help is available, that training in-unit representatives play a crucial role in creating a safe and supportive environment to ensure people feel comfortable reaching out for assistance."
The selection process for volunteer victim advocates involves an application, interviews and commander approval to ensure candidates are fully prepared for the responsibilities ahead.
“I talked to my supervisor about joining this program and from there, it was a pretty quick and easy process,” said Senior Airman Chelsea Rae Romero, air traffic controller for the 319th Operations Support Squadron. “From there I did a quick screening questionnaire and a couple in-person interviews, just to make sure this was something I wanted to do. It also gives you an idea of what to expect with the program.”
Beyond individual advocacy, the training also fosters a broader cultural shift within the military by encouraging open discussions and increasing awareness about available support programs.
“I feel like the most important part of this class is learning how to empower people,” said Romero. “It’s important to make them feel seen, make them feel heard and make them feel like they can have their life back into their own hands, when maybe it was stripped away unfairly.”
The SAPR office is holding a Volunteer Victim Advocate course from May 12-16, 2025. This course leads to official credentialing under the Department of Defense Sexual Assault Advocate Certification Program (D-SAACP). Credentialed advocates will then be able to serve until Sept.
2027.
If you are interested in serving a role as part of the victim advocate team, please contact your First Sergeant or a member of the SAPR office at 701-747-7272 for instructions to apply.
| Date Taken: | 03.28.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 03.28.2025 15:49 |
| Story ID: | 494039 |
| Location: | GRAND FORKS AIR FORCE BASE, NORTH DAKOTA, US |
| Web Views: | 38 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
This work, Volunteer Victim Advocate program returns to Grand Forks AFB, by SrA Trevor Gordnier, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
