Preventing sexual assault is a 'collective responsibility' Published Dec. 13, 2013 By Lt. Gen. Michelle D. Johnson U.S. Air Force Academy U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. -- In the near future, the Defense Department will release its annual report on sexual harassment and violence at the military service academies. The Air Force's Academy will use this feedback to continue to refine and improve our processes regarding sexual harassment and assault, to include prevention, investigation, accountability, and victim assistance and advocacy. We are absolutely committed to preventing and deterring sexual assault in our ranks and in prosecuting those who commit this crime. Sexual assault is a crime that is contradictory to our core values. Its impact is incredibly damaging to our family of Airmen, civilian Airmen and cadets, and it greatly detracts from our ability to perform our core mission: Producing lieutenants for our Air Force and leaders for our nation. In my view, prevention is the first line of effort to eliminate sexual assault. Prevention begins with each and every one of our team members working to foster a culture of mutual respect and trust and maintaining a climate of dignity and respect. Our ability to do this rests upon our commitment to see all those we work with, study with, and live with as people with their own hopes, dreams and boundaries. When we respect others as people, we value their objectives, their hopes, and honor their boundaries as much as we do our own. And seeing others this way, we could never use them for our own selfish purposes. Every act of sexual assault is a trampling of human dignity. People who do it, and those who allow it to be done, are violating the most foundational obligation we have one to another -- the obligation to see each other as fellow human beings who have the same value as our own. More importantly, we must watch out for one another and be the type of Wingmen who intervene in situations which can lead to sexual assault. This harkens to our obligation to live honorably and not to tolerate anything less from others. We must hold each other accountable. We all must also focus on our professional values and make the individual commitment to create and reinforce an environment where sexual assault is not tolerated, condoned, or ignored. Our truly outstanding SARC team, steered by our Vice Commandant for Culture and Climate, Col. Stella Renner and our SARC Coordinator, Teresa Beasley, continues to guide us in this effort. Additionally, the Commandant of Cadets, Brig. Gen. Gregory Lengyel, has led us as we employ a renewed focus on leadership development and commitment to our high standards. In our efforts to better support victims, we continue to improve upon the Cadet Bystander Intervention Training and have added a team of Special Victims Counsel attorneys. SVC attorneys have an attorney-client relationship with victims, something prosecuting attorneys do not have. SVC attorneys advocate for the protection of their clients' rights in the military justice system, advise them on the investigatory and military justice processes, and empower their clients by removing barriers to their full participation in the military justice process. The SVC program creates an opportunity for victims to be heard, to retain and take advantage of their rights, and enhance the military justice system while neither causing unreasonable delay, nor infringing upon the rights of the accused. We will hold ourselves and our cadets accountable for misuse of alcohol, unacceptable dormitory behavior, and failure to commit to, and comply with, standards to help mitigate some of the high risk circumstances that are often connected to sexual assault. We will review the interdependence of our disciplinary system with incentives for this commitment to do the right thing. We continue to reach out to cadets through SAPR training and programs like our Sexual Assault Awareness Month. But this is not just about cadets, this affects all of us on Team USAFA -- Airmen, Civilian Airmen, cadets and cadet candidates. There is still more work to do. Prevention does not originate from computer-based training, sitting through a lecture or participating in Sexual Assault Awareness Month events. It happens when we all work to nurture a culture of mutual respect and trust. It is incumbent on all Team USAFA members to do their part in creating and sustaining a climate of dignity where sexual assault is not tolerated, condoned, or ignored. And, it happens through holding each other accountable for our behavior and actions. It is our collective responsibility to do all we can to prevent sexual assault before it happens. I'm asking you not merely to act differently -- I'm asking you to see and regard others differently. When a member of our team is vulnerable, we all have an obligation to make sure that teammate finds safety rather than predation. We all need to be on the lookout for unacceptable and risky behaviors and stop sexual assault before it has the chance to happen. In short, we need to take care of each other. And that will happen only to the degree we really care about each other. As I've said, there is a human cost involved when someone decides to cross a boundary; and that human cost stays with both parties for the rest of their respective lives. We must all work together to be the first line of defense. I challenge all members of Team USAFA to ensure we take care of each other and to use the results of this report and any recommendations it may contain to help us to refine and improve our processes for preventing sexual harassment and assault.