in a panel discussion at APG's April 15 SHARP Summit. The session was
designed to provide for the exchange of ideas and best practices for
eradicating negative behavior and spark a cul... VIEW ORIGINAL
at Aberdeen Proving Ground's April 15 Sexual Harassment and Assault
Prevention Response (SHARP) program Summit. Maj. Gen... VIEW ORIGINAL
ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, Md. -- Aberdeen Proving Ground (APG) senior leaders gathered for the second annual Sexual Harassment and Assault Response and Prevention (SHARP) Summit here Wednesday April 15. The Summit is designed to provide for the exchange of ideas and best practices for eradicating negative behavior and sparking a culture change of trust that holds offenders accountable for sexual harassment and assault offenses.
The all-day event was attended by nearly 500 APG leaders across the officer, enlisted and civilian ranks at APG North's Recreation Center.
"Sexual assault is a national problem that affects military and civilian communities alike," said Maj. Gen. Bruce T. Crawford, Commanding General U.S. Army Communications-Electronic Command (CECOM), APG Senior Commander and host of the SHARP Summit. "Combating sexual harassment and assault is the Army's number 1 priority. It is our inherent responsibility to work together to achieve a character, culture and a value system where these acts and behaviors are never tolerated. Our nation looks to us and expects us, as trusted professionals, to do what is right."
Under the theme "Sustaining the Momentum -- Accountable to the Nation," the Summit was designed to feed off last year's inaugural event and bring leaders together to continue the mission of raising understanding, exchanging ideas and sharing best practices. Summit attendance was targeted at enlisted leaders from sergeant to command sergeant major, civilian leaders and supervisors in the GS-12 to GS-15 range and officers ranked between O-2 (first lieutenant) and O-6 (colonel). General officers, members of the senior executive service and other command sergeant majors were encouraged to attend.
The Summit coincided with the ribbon-cutting opening of APG's SHARP Resource Center, one of 12 in the entire Army, dedicated to providing a one-stop environment for any SHARP related matter.
Ms. Monique Ferrell, Director, Headquarters, Department of the Army SHARP Program Office, served as the key note speaker for the Summit. Also attending was Mr. Turhan Robinson, the Maryland Civilian Aide to the Secretary of the Army (CASA).
"I am an Army wife and an Army mother," Ms. Ferrell stated. "And I am very protective of my two soldiers and I share that same passionate concern for protecting all our soldiers, civilians and family members no matter where they serve.
"I know Army leaders are committed to eliminating sexual harassment and sexual assault. Each one of us has an obligation to eliminate such behavior across the ranks. This is an important issue that threatens military and civilian alike.
"Army efforts to date have generated momentum to achieving ultimate success. And we must attain success. Sexual harassment and sexual assault is an insider threat to discipline and internal trust and therefore Army operations. Allowing such to exist affects all, down to the lowest levels."
Ms. Ferrell also trumpeted the opening of APG's SHARP Resource Center as an example of the Army's serious intent. "The APG SHARP Resource Center puts APG at the forefront of combatting SHARP issues. As one of 12 pilot stations Army-wide, I know we will learn valuable lessons from the work being done here at APG."
After the conclusion of Ms. Ferrell's keynote address, the day evolved into panel discussions on various overarching SHARP issues. Dialogue was encouraged on each topic. The first panel was a "Leadership" panel and covered topics such as creating a professional work environment, accountability, retaliation via social media, the civilian-vs-military response and the benefits of a coordinated response. Participants on this panel included the panel lead Maj. Gen. Peter Utley, U.S. Army Test and Evaluation Commander; Command Sgt. Maj. Harold Dunn, 20th Chemical, Biological,
Radiological, Nuclear and high-yield Explosives (CBRNE) Command; Mr. Carmen Spencer, Joint Program Executive Officer -- Chemical and Biological Defense; and Maj. Gen. Linda Singh, The Adjutant General, state of Maryland.
The leadership panel was followed by a "Junior" Panel, manned by junior leaders on APG and designed to discuss challenges and topics that might be seen at lower levels in the ranks. These topics included Company-level SHARP programs, a SHARP Command climate, retaliation and bullying and accountability. Led by Capt. Sojung Yu, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 22nd Chemical Battalion, CBRNE. The panel featured Capt. Tarik Jones, Joint Land Attack Cruise Missile Defense Elevated Netted Sensor System (JLENS) company commander; Pvt. Amber Shaw, 20th CBRNE; and civilians Andrea TaversU.S. Army Research, Development & Engineering Command, and Leah Badham of CECOM's Logistics Readiness Center.
Pvt. Shaw was likely the most junior member of any panel, but answered directly from her perspective when quizzed on what "leadership" means to her.
"What makes up a good command climate? Respect," she answered without hesitation. "Respect fosters trust. Leadership should also guide and mold the soldier without overstepping the bounds of that authority. And there should be zero tolerance for those not adhering to such boundaries."
She cited "building comradeship" as a key element in team and trust building.
"Comradeship is a best practice. It improves situations. Training scenarios can also be used to identify problems before they arise but training only annually may not be enough. Any instance of sexual harassment or sexual assault is devastating to the morale and affects both the accuser and the accused."
After a midday break, the panels continued. Real-life issues were discussed in a "Survivor & Bystander" panel with a survivor telling their story and SHARP experience. The fourth and final panel was staffed by subject matter experts and discussed what a SHARP investigative process/collaboration might look like, prosecution efforts, medical response(s), victim legal support and victim care (civilians). Experts from Kirk U.S. Army Hospital Clinic, the U.S. Army Criminal Investigative Division, Special Victims Prosecution and Council and the Harford County Community Outreach Program were members of that panel.
Maj. Gen. Crawford closed the day-long event by stating "Ten years from now, we will be facing this same threat if we don't address it now. Twenty years. Thirty. It won't go away unless we make it happen now. We must eliminate it now.
"But this is going to be a journey -- a marathon -- not a sprint. This effort will have to continue and we must have the perseverance to overcome. This is going to take everyone realizing we are clearly in this for the long haul."
The Summit is an ongoing opportunity for various leaders at multiple levels to make a real impact in changing the culture surrounding the response and support of victims of sexual offenses. Change must be coordinated across all levels of leadership and victims must know and be confident that leadership will take action if a crime is reported.
The Army continues to work with the Defense Department to implement prevention strategies across the Army and is actively communicating with other military service branches, the Secretary of Defense and Congress on this top Army priority. Sexual assault remains the most underreported crime in the Army and in the nation. But raising awareness in discussions such as the SHARP Summit will go far in eradicating the issue on all levels.
For News Video Coverage of the APG SHARP Summit please visit this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BBKbAWsMb-w
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