“Campaign to Zero” starts at Sheppard

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Robert L. McIlrath
  • 82nd Training Wing Public Affairs
SHEPPARD AIR FORCE BASE, Texas --  

Sheppard started using a different approach when it comes teaching Airmen how to properly handle everyday situations involving their peers instead of seemingly endless power point presentations about sexual assault and alcohol abuse.

The 82nd Training Wing kicked off the “Campaign to Zero” on May 26, 2016, with an event at the Airman’s Club that provided Airmen in training with information on positive bystander intervention and awareness.

Information booths set up by volunteers from Equal Opportunity, alcohol and drug use prevention and treatment, sexual assault prevention and response office, family advocacy and the Air Force Sergeant’s Association. Volunteer Airmen performed a series of scenarios for other to witness later in the evening.

“We gave them out information before they entered the club,” said Master Sgt. Debra Spivey, 82nd TRW career assistance advisor. “We created live fire scenarios in front of student Airmen to see if and how they would respond to it.”

Small groups of permanent party Airmen acted out a total of seven scenarios to allow others to intervene. Aside from the actors, all interactions by the student Airmen were done out of their own initiative.

“I walked up to another girl and started to caress her arm, she pushed me away and I got rowdy and tried to fight her,” said Airman 1st Class Hailey Salyers, 82nd Medical Operations Squadron mental health technician. “Airmen immediately stepped in and broke it up.”

Throughout the night Airmen consistently proved that their training was working. Along with Sexual harassment scenarios, there were also alcohol abuse scenarios that were perhaps more difficult to recognize.

“I had ‘X’ marks on each of my hands to symbolize that I was underage and a fake alcoholic beverage, I would go and sit at random tables with Airmen and try to converse with them for a bit,” said Airman Keelan Hathaway, 82nd Logistics Readiness Squadron personal property specialist “After a few minutes I would give them a story about how my friend left me and I had no way to get alcohol now. Then I would ask them to buy me some.”

Hathaway didn’t receive a drink for the rest of the night.

“There were three people sitting at the first table, two of those people reported me immediately,” he said. “I went to another table right after and got turned down again.”

Four received interventions from a total of 11 Airmen, out of the seven scenarios played out.

“I think it went really well for the first time,” Spivey said. “We had people that wanted to intervene. As far as the wingman concept goes, I think Airmen are getting the information they need to identify problems when they see it.”