TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- April is recognized as Sexual Assault Awareness Month, and the Air Force encourages its members to always be mindful and report any form of sexual assault to the proper official authorities.
Each April, the Department of Defense observes the awareness month and commits to raising awareness and prevention of sexual violence. The base’s sexual assault response coordinator office works to ensure these defensive measures are put into place.
“The sexual assault response coordinator serves as a single point of contact for integrating and coordinating victim care from an initial report through resolution of issues related to the victim’s health and well-being,” said Phylista Dudzinski, 325th Fighter Wing sexual assault response coordinator. “This includes 24/7 response capabilities by calling 850-625-1231 or being connected through the base operator or command post.”
The Air Force Sexual Assault Prevention and Response program is designed to deter all forms of sexual assault brought on to its members.
The Air Force SAPR mission is to develop, implement and assess policies and programs to eliminate sexual assault and empower every Airman to serve as a catalyst for behavior and attitude change that fosters an environment free from sexual harassment, sexual assault and its effects. The SAPR office offers services to active duty service members, guard and reserve personnel, adult dependents of uniformed Airmen, and civilian Air Force employees.
According to the Air Force Personnel Center, the term 'sexual assault' is defined as intentional sexual contact characterized by use of force, threats, intimidation, abuse of authority, or when the victim does not or cannot consent.
In 2014, the Air Force reported more than 1,300 cases of sexual assault to Congress.
In some cases, victims may be reluctant to report assault in fear of repercussions or embarrassment, but the office assures that members will have full confidentiality through the restricted reporting option. Active duty service members may also elect for the unrestricted reporting option, which will generate a full investigation.
“Without reporting, we will never be able to answer with any certainty how prevalent sexual assault is in Air Force,” said Dudzinski. “This is why the Air Force has deemed it imperative to aggressively foster a culture in which victims feel secure. Things won’t change unless everyone takes an active part. Supervisors must take it seriously and respond with compassion.”
The Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs office released an article recognizing the importance of all wingmen identifying sexual assault indicators all year, not just for the month of April.
Within the SAPR program, the Air Force has a total of 118 sexual assault response coordinators, 79 full-time victim advocates, more than 2,000 volunteer victim advocates, 33 special victims’ counselors, and nine special victims’ unit senior trail counsels.
To contact the Tyndall SARC office, call 850-283-8192.