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Marne Air Advisory Board gives Soldiers a voice

By Spc. Savannah RoyJune 2, 2021

The 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade Sexual Assault Response Coordinators, Victim Advocate, and representatives of the Marne Air Advisory Board stand behind teal pinwheels, Apr. 27 at Hunter Army Airfield, Georgia. Teal is the official color of sexual assault awareness and prevention month, and the pinwheels are a symbol of sexual violence prevention.
The 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade Sexual Assault Response Coordinators, Victim Advocate, and representatives of the Marne Air Advisory Board stand behind teal pinwheels, Apr. 27 at Hunter Army Airfield, Georgia. Teal is the official color of sexual assault awareness and prevention month, and the pinwheels are a symbol of sexual violence prevention. (Photo Credit: Spc. Savannah Roy) VIEW ORIGINAL

Hunter Army Airfield, GA - The 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, gives Soldiers a voice and an opportunity to be part of a positive change across the brigade through an advisory board of junior leader representatives.

Col. Michael McFadden, commander of the 3rd CAB, 3rd ID, established the Marne Air Advisory Board, a direct line of communication between Soldiers and the brigade command team. The advisory board officially began meeting in February 2021.

“The concept of the Marne Air Advisory Board was driven by both the Fort Hood report and the 3rd CAB Tiger Team,” said McFadden. “I realized as a commander that I needed an “unfiltered” voice of the formation in a frequency that surpasses that of random sensing sessions.”

3rd Combat Aviation Brigade senior leadership stand with representatives of the Marne Air Advisory Board in front of the sexual assault awareness and prevention proclamation, Apr. 27 at Hunter Army Airfield, Georgia. The goal of sexual assault awareness and prevention month is to raise public awareness about sexual violence and to educate communities on how to prevent it.
3rd Combat Aviation Brigade senior leadership stand with representatives of the Marne Air Advisory Board in front of the sexual assault awareness and prevention proclamation, Apr. 27 at Hunter Army Airfield, Georgia. The goal of sexual assault awareness and prevention month is to raise public awareness about sexual violence and to educate communities on how to prevent it. (Photo Credit: Spc. Savannah Roy) VIEW ORIGINAL

The advisory board was established to serve as a primary function for interviewing sexual harassment/assault response prevention victim advocates (VA) and sexual assault response coordinators (SARC). During the interview, board members take notes and offer follow-up questions to the interviewee, if necessary. The notes are then compiled and sent to McFadden for review and final approval of a victim advocate and a sexual assault response coordinator.

“The Marne Air Advisory Board has already interviewed all of the SARC and VA candidates and for each battalion, and we had a big say in who we wanted to see as representatives,” said Spc. Cameron Forte, an advisory board member assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 3rd CAB, 3rd ID. “We've also been working on making SHARP training a better experience, rather than teaching through power point slides.”

Board members are recommended by their battalion command teams. Each battalion command team in the 3rd CAB selects one male and female Soldier in the rank of E-4 or below, with at least one Soldier residing in the barracks. There are currently 10 junior leaders serving on the Marne Air Advisory Board.

“The advisory board is an invaluable asset that allows 3rd CAB Soldiers in the rank of E-4 and below to have a direct voice to the brigade command team, but also allow the command team to provide key messaging back to the formation through this trusted team of peers,” McFadden said.

Representatives of the Marne Air Advisory Board, Pvt. Kelle Ross (left) and Spc. Cameron Forte (right), assigned to the the 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade, 3rd infantry Division, stand next to the sexual assault awareness and prevention proclamation, Apr. 27 at Hunter Army Airfield, Georgia. The theme, “protecting our people protects our mission,” emphasizes how every service member, regardless of rank, can encourage behaviors that foster a climate of dignity and respect, and in doing so, help ensure readiness to complete the mission.
Representatives of the Marne Air Advisory Board, Pvt. Kelle Ross (left) and Spc. Cameron Forte (right), assigned to the the 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade, 3rd infantry Division, stand next to the sexual assault awareness and prevention proclamation, Apr. 27 at Hunter Army Airfield, Georgia. The theme, “protecting our people protects our mission,” emphasizes how every service member, regardless of rank, can encourage behaviors that foster a climate of dignity and respect, and in doing so, help ensure readiness to complete the mission. (Photo Credit: Spc. Savannah Roy) VIEW ORIGINAL

The secondary function of the Marne Air Advisory Board is to provide junior level feedback to the brigade command team on topics such as, but not limited to the Better Opportunities for Single Soldiers program initiatives, the barracks climate, equal opportunities climate, and the climate of the brigade as a whole. The members of the board are an outlet that ensures Soldiers' voices will be heard.

“The Marne Air Advisory Board was created to improve the quality of life for all Soldiers throughout the 3rd CAB. With the board in place, Soldiers can discuss any issues they may have with their counterparts on the board and have those issues addressed directly,” Forte said. “We believe that this is the first step to making Hunter Army Airfield a better, and safer place for the Soldiers serving here.”

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