Stop! Leave me alone! Get away from me! were the words thundering through the Combatives Center during the Sexual Harassment/Assault Response and Prevention Program self-defense class April 14 and 15 taught by 116th Military Police Company Soldiers.
Sgt. 1st class Mylls Cheffey, 116th MP Co., 97th MP Battalion, started the class by telling his student to be loud when a situation is uncomfortable. He said even if someone doesn't necessarily pose a threat, but a gut feeling is present and you feel uncomfortable, the best way to handle it is to confront the person by saying something like "I see you" or "Leave me alone."
"You have to say it in the right tone," Cheffey said. "You don't only project confidence when you do that you also draw attention."
"Even if you're by yourself, now other people are aware -- that's the biggest thing about all of this," said Staff Sgt. Daniel Sutterley, 116th MP Co., 97th MP Bn.
Cheffey said making yourself a hard target is the key to prevention.
"By keeping a strong posture, you have the ability to stop that attack," Cheffey said.
Cheffey added the more people surrounding an uncomfortable situation, the less likely an attack will happen. He said if something does and people are around, they are likely to intervene or call police. Parking far away to protect a car is a common way to become isolated, which Cheffey discouraged.
"I would take a hundred scratches on my truck rather than a confrontation with someone who was trying to take something from me or do harm," Cheffey said. "We can fix scratches."
Sutterley said eye contact can detour an attacker because the assailant knows his face was seen and could be identified.
Cara Vaughn, military spouse, attended with her husband the first day. She said it is important to learn to defend herself before she finds herself in an uncomfortable situation. She listed an example of walking out of a grocery store at night and a guy confronting her in a parking lot.
Her husband, Sgt. Paul Vaughn, a Soldier transitioning from 701st Brigade Support Battalion, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division due to inactivation, said he wanted her to be able to defend herself.
For more information about the 1st Infantry Division SHARP or sexual assault prevention, call 785-239-3379 or visit www.sexualassault.army.mil/.
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