FORT SILL, Okla. (Oct. 30, 2014) -- Soldiers and civilians had an opportunity to learn about domestic violence prevention, and breast cancer awareness during lunch Oct. 24 at the Garcia Dining Facility.
The Installation Equal Opportunity Office sponsored the event which featured representatives from Army Community Services and Reynolds Army Community Hospital manning information tables.
Andrea Peters, Family Advocacy Program prevention specialist, provided domestic abuse and intimate partner violence prevention literature and giveaways as well as information on ACS classes.
"At Family Advocacy and ACS we work on the prevention side of the house," Peters said. "We are able to go out to the units, FRGs (family readiness groups) and NCO developmental programs and offer prevention-based resources, diffrent classes on communication and building healthy family characteristics."
She also provided information on ACS intervention resources and treatments available to people who are in abusive relationships.
Domestic violence is a problem in the military, said Peters, "but at Fort Sill domestic and child abuse rates are some of the lowest in the Army, and we credit that to some of the prevention activities we do."
She noted that FAP staff are available to visit units to provide training and presentations.
DFAC staff prepared a Go-for-Green healthy menu featuring rotisserie chicken, shrimp skewers, succotash, asparagus and brown rice, said Sgt. 1st Class Derrick Smullen, Garcia DFAC manager. And desserts were prepared with pink and purple highlights, the colors of breast cancer awareness and domestic violence prevention, respectively.
"The whole DFAC theme is supporting the awareness," said Smullen. Virtually all of the Soldier food service specialists and contract workers wore pink and purple accessories to show their support.
The staff also set up a "In Remembrance of the Fallen" table -- which also featured the poems "I Got Flowers Today," by Paulette Kelly, which was dedicated to victims of domestic violence; and "I Am Not a Victim of Breast Cancer."
Joyce Powell, RACH mammography supervisor, gave information and answered questions at a breast cancer awareness table.
Medical authorities recommend yearly mammograms for women beginning at age 40, Powell said.
"Women can self-refer (at RACH) if they are not having problems. If they are having a problem, they need to see their (health care) provider, who will refer them to our department for a full diagnostic mammography work up."
Mammography should not be painful and the procedure has gotten a lot better over the years with changes in equipment, she said.
"Mammography has a stigma that it is very painful," Powell said. "I try to tell people that you're not doing your friends or families any favors if you scare them enough where they don't get a mammogram."
One out of every 100 breast cancers in the United States is in a male, she said. "Men also need to be aware of changes in their breasts like lumps and need to go to their provider if they find one."
RACH provides mammograms and breast ultrasounds and biopsies for men, too, she said.
The next EO luncheon will be the Native American heritage month recognition in November at Garcia DFAC.
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