FORT SILL, Okla. (July 18, 2013) -- The Chief of Staff of the Army Gen. Raymond Odierno said "Trust is the bedrock of our honored profession; trust between each other, trust between Soldiers and leaders, trust between Soldiers and their families and the Army, and trust with the American people." With these words in mind, the Army has begun to improve and fix the Sexual Harassment/Assault Response and Prevention [SHARP] program.
One way the Army has begun improving the SHARP program is with engaging and meaningful training. Leadership from 3rd Battalion, 2nd Air Defense Artillery held SHARP training to inform their Soldiers on sexual assault prevention and the resources that are available for someone who has been assaulted.
1st. Sgt. Michael Mitchell, E Battery first sergeant, said this training is meant to be proactive against sexual assault.
"We want them to leave this training with the ability and knowledge to recognize and stop a possible sexual assault before it happens," said Mitchell.
For many Soldiers, this training was very different from any of the previous SHARP training they've had.
"The last classes have always been death by PowerPoint, but this one involved an interactive part in each one," said Spc. Ivan Bonderov, D Battery, 3-2nd ADA. "At the end of each segment, they went and quizzed everyone on the little things they saw and missed, and how to handle it if it happened to them."
Many of the junior noncommissioned officers feel that the training covers a lot more than previous ones.
"The information that's being dealt out is very in depth," said Sgt. Christopher Staniszewski, D/3-2nd ADA. "I believe that with some of the things that are going on within the whole military itself, people are beginning to realize that this is an out of hand issue, and we are trying to stop it before it becomes more of an epidemic than it already is."
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