FORT RUCKER, Ala. (September 17, 2015) -- U.S. Army Aviation Center of Excellence and Fort Rucker senior leaders came together to discuss criteria of the Army Profession, which strengthen the readiness of the force -- Character, Commitment and Competence. When there is a break down in these, it can lead to unit and combat readiness issues such as sexual assault.
The theme of the Army Profession and the Army Values was the foundation in the approach in this Sexual Harassment/Assault Response Program Summit held at the USAACE Headquarters on Sept. 10. The forum gave senior leaders the opportunity to discuss the fact the American people have entrusted in Army with the moral and ethical application of force. Therefore Soldiers must trust each other and their leaders to combat the issue of sexual assault and harassment that plagues the Army's ability to have a ready and resilient force, according to Sgt. 1st Class Joseph Blackman, USAACE sexual assault response coordinator.
"We wanted to conduct the summit to allow for dialogue on our profession and the issues we face, so we brought senior leaders in from USAACE and Fort Rucker tenant units" said Blackman. "They were able to have a candid and in-depth discussions on how improve readiness and trust."
During summit, Maj. Gen. Michael D. Lundy, USAACE and Fort Rucker commanding general, opened the summit with a discussion on The Army Profession as the cornerstone of the dialogue and building trust in Soldiers to get after the problem. Lundy spoke on the loyalty and trust between not only Soldiers, but between the Army and the American people that encompasses what the Army profession is about.
"When you think about the Army profession, it really gets after our character, our competence and our commitment," said the general. "It talks about how we must treat each other with dignity and respect. When you think about mission command, it's about building on the effective team where there is shared understanding and trust between the leader and the led. If you start getting after that, sexual assault and sexual harassment cannot thrive and we create an environment where it becomes much harder for Soldiers to violate another Soldier's dignity and respect -- that increases combat readiness."
Lundy said that the behavior of sexual assault and harassment is related to how Soldiers and leaders conduct themselves. If it is occurring, there is a clear break down in one's dedication to the Army Profession and the character, competence and commitment required to be a true professional Soldier.
That sense of professionalism doesn't only apply to the Army, said the commanding general, but in all aspects of life, including the civilian world.
"Just because (a Soldier) is going off for the weekend doesn't mean that they are off duty or that they won't be recognized in the community as a Soldier," said Blackman. "Like (the general) said, their conduct needs to reflect what it means to be an Army professional both in and out of uniform."
That level of trust that is formed between Soldiers and leaders, as well as the Army and the American people, is what allows the Army to be the fighting force it is today. Sexual assault and harassment can break that trust, Lundy said.
"We've got to maintain trust with the American people, because the strength of our nation is the will of the American people," he said. "Trust is absolutely critical. It gets back to this symptom that we have of sexual assault and sexual harassment that tears and breaks trust between Soldiers, between leader and led, and between us and the American people. That's why we've got to solve this through the profession and through mission command."
Lundy said he believes the best approach to SHARP training is integrating what it means to be an Army professional into all aspects of training, rather than just meeting a quota of hours that needs to be met annually.
Blackman agreed. "SHARP training should not be focused on a sit-down lecture that Soldiers need to sit through for hours to meet a criteria," he said. "It can be something as simple as a squad leader pulling his Soldiers aside on a Friday, and having a little informal safety brief to remind them not to forget about professionalism and conducting themselves accordingly, even when they are out of uniform."
The summit also provided a forum for leaders to see and understand the process of going through a sexual assault investigation, as well as in-depth views into different aspects of those investigations, such as the Special Victim Counsel Program.
It's that level of understanding that Blackman said could help leaders better educate their Soldiers on the issues.
"I definitely think it (the summit) served its purpose, and I think that we had the correct audience because they (the leaders) are the people who have the best ability to effect change," he said. "They're the ones who create the environment of standards, professionalism and accountability as well as lead by example through character, commitment and competence." Blackman continued, "I hope that, first and foremost, they inculcate the CG's guidance. I hope they understand where we sit as an organization and what tools they have at their disposal to continue to improve our dedication to our Soldiers and our profession," Blackman added.
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