April is SAAP month

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Zade C. Vadnais
  • 18th Wing Public Affairs
KADENA AIR BASE, Japan --  Although sexual assault prevention and response is a year-round issue, the 18th Wing SAPR office will be ramping up their outreach efforts this April in observance of Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month.

SAAP month is a global observance aiming to shine a light on sexual assault, a topic which is not discussed as often or as openly in other communities as it is in the military community.

Capt. Elizabeth Belleau, 18th Wing sexual assault response coordinator, said SAAP month is a great opportunity to reach out to members of the community that do not receive SAPR training or are not as aware of the services offered on base as government employees might be.

"It's very easy for us to interact with the military personnel or civilians in the workplace," Belleau said. "During SAAP month, it's important for us to heighten awareness and make sure we reach out to all the different people in the community."

The SAPR office has planned more than 20 events, including a color, glow and slip-and-slide run and paintball and golf tournaments, in an effort to spread their message to the widest audience possible during SAAP month.

The first event scheduled to take place April 7 will be the joint proclamation ceremony, involving leaders from all branches of the U.S. military on Okinawa signing a document proclaiming their zero-tolerance stance against sexual assault.

The observance will culminate in a march the SAPR team is calling "Take Back the Night." Participants will march from the Schilling Community Center parking lot toward Chapel Two with noise makers and glow sticks, symbolizing survivors reclaiming nighttime, the time when sexual assaults are most likely to occur.

Sexual assault is a year-round issue the SAPR team is constantly addressing. The SAPR office has privileged communication, meaning survivors can speak with a representative in as much or as little detail as they choose without starting any legal action against the offender.

For more information, or for someone to talk to, call the SAPR hotline at 634-7272 or 098-961-7272 from a cell phone.