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Air Force Academy, Air Force SARCs enhance skills at refresher course

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  • Headquarters Air Force Public Affairs
LEESBURG, Va. (AFNS) --  The Air Force Sexual Assault Prevention and Response office concluded a five-day annual refresher course for nearly 130 Air Force sexual assault response coordinators at the National Conference Center in Leesburg, Virginia, Aug. 3-7.

The SARCs participated in prevention, policy and training lessons and leadership interaction to reinforce their knowledge and skills.

"SARCs are the backbone of the Air Force's Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Program," said Air Force SAPR director, Maj. Gen. Gina Grosso. "This annual training is our opportunity to ensure they have the latest information on policies and procedures and for us to get their feedback on what's working, what isn't, and how we can continue to improve. Their enthusiasm for learning and dedication to Airmen they support is truly inspiring."

The SARCs and deputy SARCs across the Air Force serve as trusted agents for Airmen in crisis at 113 bases around the world, said Maj. Scott Crum, Air Force SAPR deputy operations chief.

"Although our SARCs vary greatly in rank and experience from lieutenants to (Government Schedule employees), they must all earn the trust and confidence of the Airmen they serve," Crum said. "This refresher training is as critical to their professional development as professional military education is to our force."

Although some of the material was familiar to the SARCs from their initial certification course, the continued education helps them hone their skills and motivates them to use new skills, said Barry Waite, the Ira C. Eaker Center for Professional Development's chief of workforce diversity and civilian professional development at Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama.

Waite taught a two-hour session on communicating with leadership at all levels August 5. One goal of the lesson was for SARCs to understand and identify their own personality and their coworkers' and leaderships' personalities.

"I loved his lesson and the interactive way it was delivered," said 1st Lt. Anna Gault, deputy SARC at Aviano Air Base, Italy. "The SAPR program has a spotlight on it, and we work directly for the vice-wing commander, so we need to understand how to interact with our leadership. If we aren't communicating, we could end up with a negative outcome."

Courses like this are important because they foster collaboration between the sexual assault response coordinators, said the Air Force Academy Sexual Assault Response coordinator, Maj. Laura Barnes.

"We learn from each other and pass along best practices, making everyone's program better," she said. "These events help us to stay ahead of new policies and provide input to the future of the SAPR program." 

When SARCs leave the initial training course at Maxwell AFB, they can share with other SARCs or learn from SARCs from other bases who have handled similar circumstances.

"Our policies and procedures are constantly evolving as we learn more about this crime and how to prevent and respond to it," Grosso said. "This annual training is a vital opportunity to bring all our SARCs together to give them the best tools and training possible to serve our Airmen."

Barnes said she was inspired by the dedication and passion of Air Force SAPR and SARCs around the world.

"The course provided professional development crucial to our job, ensuring we can properly care for victims, support commanders and provide necessary awareness and training," she said. "This will benefit the Academy because it highlights that even though our mission is unique, we are not alone in this fight."