Lt. Gen. Lee K. Levy II
Air Force Sustainment Center Commander
Fellow Airmen,
As many of you know, April is Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month. This month is an opportunity to highlight the robust efforts to care for victims and innovative ways we are working to infuse prevention practices into our daily mission. This year’s theme is, “Protecting our people protects our mission.”
Within the Air Force Sustainment Center, our ability to sustain weapon system readiness to generate airpower for America is directly related to how well each Airman (whether they be military, civilian, or contractor) recognizes their role in establishing and upholding an environment of mutual trust, dignity, and respect.
Studies show that individuals and work centers harboring negative factors within the continuum of harm (including tolerating inappropriate jokes, demeaning behaviors, and sexual harassment in the workplace) undermine this environment, impact our mission effectiveness, and can lead to sexual assault.
Last year, the Air Force embarked on a journey to build a culture of violence prevention through the Green Dot program. We learned we can maintain a positive culture through three simple acts: Direct, Distract, and Delegate. These tools can stop harmful behaviors before they lead to life-altering events. By enabling everyone to uphold our values we ensure we all contribute optimally to accomplishing our mission.
While we strive to eradicate sexual assaults, we must recognize that one in five women and one in six men have been sexually assaulted in this country. Victims often live with the trauma of their assault without seeking help. As a Service, we have come a long way to provide the legal, medical, and social help to both our military and civilian Airmen. If you are a victim, seek out the help of our installation Sexual Assault Response Coordinators and learn about the restricted and unrestricted reporting options and services available to you. If you want to be more involved in prevention efforts, contact the Violence Prevention Specialist at 582-9848.
While we emphasize sexual assault’s impact on our people and our mission in the month of April, the lessons we learn this month apply year-round: be engaged, do your part, set the example. By protecting our people, you are protecting our mission.