FORT KNOX, Kentucky (May 4, 2015) - U.S. Army Human Resources Command marked the end of April, and Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month, with a Denim Day and motorcycle run April 29.
As more than 40 motorcyclists from across the installation lined up to begin the run, HRC's deputy commanding general, Brig. Gen Barbara L. Owens thanked them for their participation and reiterated the importance of the Army's Sexual Harassment/Assault Response and Prevention program.
"I would ask that everybody be safe on the ride and, while you are riding you remember why you are out here," Owens said. "Know your part -- you can do your part to prevent sexual assault."
"Eliminate sexual assault: know your part, do your part," is the Army's theme for this year's SAAPM and stresses that every service member must know, understand and adhere to service values and standards of behavior. They must also each be aware of their role in preventing and responding to sexual assault. Lastly, if they see a crime or inappropriate behavior unfolding, they need to step in to prevent it.
The riders then made their way to the Silverleaf Sexual Trauma Recovery center in Elizabethtown.
HRC's SHARP program has been in partnership with center since 2012. Program director, Master Sgt. Johnnie Garcia considers cultivating ties with community resources such as Silverleaf important to accomplishing the SHARP mission of providing avenues for healthy and safe advocacy to victims of sexual assault/harassment.
The partnership with Silverleaf has also fostered discussion between the two offices, which led to HRC being able to provide targeted training and education to the workforce.
"Their center offers advocacy such as sexual assault forensics examination kits, counseling support, education and support to our community in efforts to promote a more proactive approach to ending all types of sexual violence," said Garcia. "Our partnership begins and ends with coordination of advocacy services for survivors of sexual assault. Advocacy is a big part of healing for a survivor. We as sexual assault coordinators and victim advocates should be able to assist survivors so they have confidential advocacy no matter where they go."
In addition to the motorcycle run, HRC employees, both Soldier and civilian were encouraged to wear denim to work and join the global recognition of Denim Day.
Denim Day began as a protest against a 1999 ruling by the Italian Supreme Court ruling that reversed a sexual assault conviction. The court ruled, since the victim was wearing tight jeans, she had to help her attacker remove them which was equated to consent.
Women across Italy began wearing denim to express their outrage and the action caught on and people across the globe now participate in the yearly event.
While this is the first year HRC has had a motorcycle run on Denim Day, it is the third year the command has participated in wearing denim to work.
Participation has grown every year, Garcia said. The first year all the participants gathered in a room to have a group photo taken. However, three years later, participation has grown to the extent that participants had to gather in the complex's quadrangle to accommodate a group photo.
"Education and awareness are working," Garcia said. "Our training, our methods, our techniques, all the hard work and hours we put into training to include our 20 victim advocates here at HRC is reaching people. Now people are more aware of restricted and unrestricted reporting and they're aware why they are wearing denim for Denim Day and some of the events that we hold on post."
This growth of participation was inspiring to HRC's Chief of Staff, Col. BJ Constantine Jr., who has participated in the event since his arrival at the command two years ago.
"Wearing denim to work is just my way of showing my team members that I'm serious about this," he said. "This is important to me, I'm passionate about it. … It's inspiring to me to see people wearing jeans, not just to wear jeans, but because we are doing it for a reason."
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