First sergeant briefs civil engineers on SAAM

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Phyllis Keith
  • 624th Regional Support Group Public Affairs
JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, Hawaii --  

In recognition of April as Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM) in the United States, the 624th Civil Engineering Squadron here gave unit members refresher training during a squadron commanders call held at the Makai Recreation Center here, April 13, 2014.

 

"The goal was to highlight the fact that sexual harassment and sexual violence are issues in the military right now and that we need to do everything we can to prevent this," lence.said Master Sgt. Victor Palomares, first sergeant with the 624th CES.

 

Palomares opened the training by asking, "What has happened over the last several years as far as the Air Force changing its attitude about sexual harassment?"

 

He then presented a series of slides with scenarios, such as one that showed what used to be accepted as a form of "joking around" is actually a form of sexual harassment. In the past, "things were being swept under the carpet. Today, no way," he said. 

 

Palomares said, "No one can control your thinking, your mouth, your actions but you. It boils down to integrity and goes back to our core values."

 

The commander of the 624th CES, Lt. Col. Randall Honke, said, "Sexual assault has no place at the 624th CES. We foster a culture of respect here. We cherish our core values of integrity, service before self, and excellence in all we do. That's the bottom line."

 

At the end of summer, all squadrons under the 624th Regional Support Group here and at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, are scheduled to hold a Sexual Assault Prevention and Response (SAPR) standdown day that consists of four hours of briefings with group discussions.

 

To learn more about how the Air Force SAPR program "reinforces the Air Force's commitment to eliminate incidents of sexual assault through awareness and prevention training, education, victim advocacy, response, reporting and accountability," visit their website at http://www.sexualassaultpreventionresponse.af.mil.