Sheppard combats sexual assault with annual SAAM symposium

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Valerie Hosea
  • 82nd Training Wing Public Affairs
SHEPPARD AIR FORCE BASE, Texas --  Sheppard hosted the annual Sexual Assault Response Coordinator Professional Symposium to combat sexual assault April 27.

The speakers educated those in attendance about sexual assault and how each person plays a first-responder role to decrease sexual assault in Texas.

Speakers and presenters included Maureen Shelton, Wichita County District Attorney's Office; Rod Reder, National Institute of Crime Prevention; and Callie Seigler, United Regional Health Care System.

Capt. Jaimie Gallego, 82nd Training Wing SARC office, said the symposium was intended to provide the tools leadership and Sheppard personnel in first-responder positions need to better care for the victims.

"This provided the audience an opportunity to have in-depth insight into sexual violence and alcohol and its relations to minors as well as sexual assault," she said. "Our speakers discussed, in detail, the dynamics of violence and drug facilitated rape."

Sgt. Steven Carnes, Texas Alcohol Beverage Commission, and Paul Buckingham, Goodfellow Air Force Base, Texas, discussed a program they created which proved that working with leadership, TABC and local vendors can reduce underage drinking in hopes of sparking interest from Sheppard senior leaders.

Each of the speakers provided detailed information about their roles and what they had to learn about the victim's mental state following an assault.

Mr. Reder's role as a law enforcement first responder is to interview the victim. He said he had to learn how to sensitize himself when assisting a victim of assault.

"A lot of times the victims may not have physical trauma but they will have mental trauma, and that's what a lot of people fail to understand," he said. "You have to give them calm-down time before they're questioned because assault is a frightful event.

"One example I use with police officers is, 'if you were in a police involved shooting, you wouldn't like people running up to you, all shouting questions because you'd be shaken up and you might be afraid that if you didn't tell them all the same answers, people might think you were lying.'

"Police appear to be cold and uncaring. We do put off that persona. We call it the mask or superman mentality. But you have to learn how to take that off. You have to become passionate and understanding. It's not the victim's fault. That's what everyone should understand," he said.

For more information on sexual assault prevention or first responder training please call the 82nd TRW SARC office at (940)676-7272.