LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Va. –
In 2012, 790 cases of sexual assault were reported through U.S. Air Force Sexual Assault Prevention and Response offices. The U.S. Air Force has responded by implementing a number of strategies to not only address the issue of sexual assault, but to create a culture where Airmen take care of one another and hold each other accountable.
"The Air Force goal for sexual assault is not simply to lower the number. The goal is zero," Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark A. Welsh III said in an American Forces Press Service article. "It's the only acceptable objective. The impact on every victim, their family, their friends [and] the other people in their unit is heart-wrenching, and attacking this cancer is a full-time job, and we are giving it our full attention."
As an immediate effect of this increased emphasis on eliminating sexual assault, the Department of Defense directed a sexual assault prevention stand down. Implemented across all branches of service, the stand down stressed the importance of responding to and eradicating sexual assault within the military.
Leadership at the 633rd Air Base Wing decided to take the direction a step further, creating a 60-day "We are Family" campaign focused on revitalizing the wingman culture at Langley.
"We didn't want the discussion to stop with the stand down," Chief Master Sgt. Trae King, 633rd Air Base Wing command chief said. "The campaign is about keeping the conversation going and changing the culture. We need to get back to the wingman concept of taking care of each other. 'We are Family' is about creating an environment where people feel safe."
King said that she came up with the concept for the campaign at the Joint Women's Leadership Symposium in Washington, D.C., June 7.
"One of the main issues that kept coming up was not being able to trust people with big issues like sexual assault or feeling suicidal," she said. "If you have a bond with the people you work with, you have someone to talk to before you make a destructive decision."
According to Bernadette Hardy, 633rd Air Base Wing Sexual Assault Prevention and Response coordinator, the campaign and stand down have already begun to pay off.
"We actually had three individuals come forward after the stand down," she said. "People have given feedback about the stand down and said they enjoyed the small group interactions and felt more comfortable discussing this 'taboo' subject."
Sexual assault cases have increased in the past year at Langley Air Force Base, with 15 cases reported in 2012, and 18 reports so far this year. But Hardy attributes the rise in reported sexual assault cases to the increasing awareness of victim resources and greater trust in the system.
"This campaign allows people to share information and experiences," she said. "People feel more comfortable coming forward when they have been victimized and using the resources available to them."
Hardy highlighted resources including medical services, mental health counseling and legal counseling.
"Sexual assault can be debilitating and devastating. We're an ear, a resource and we want to help folks navigate through the process and get back to being mission-ready," she said. "The 'We are Family' campaign brings awareness to dealing with sexual assault and focuses the military environment back to taking care of one another."