Category: Army Sharp

The Importance of Paying Attention during Mandatory ARMY Training and the Importance of the ARMY SHARP Program

Leaders often make the mistake of measuring their unit’s importance based on it’s level of activity. The packed calendar, the stress of training events, and the surge of taskings make it easy to overlook the personal moments that matter most for the Soldiers involved. Leaders put the Army in conflict with their personal lives and leave it to them to sort it out. Soldiers do indeed sort it out, but too often it’s years down the road when it comes time to reenlist. Who knows whether that new father had been told to come to work or if his supervisor was simply not aware. Regardless, situations like that can be immensely destructive to the family’s loyalty to the Service and continued commitment to serve. If we can send Soldiers back from overseas deployment to be home for childbirth (which I’ve coordinated many times), then there is not one reason to bring a Soldier back to work in the 5…7…or even 14 days afterwards.If the intent is to cancel that reenlistment date years in the future, disregarding significant personal milestones is a good way to do it. The same goes for times of personal crisis. It’s tough to argue that the job can’t be filled by someone else while a Soldier deals with the situation. The unit might sacrifice a few days of efficiency, but we might earn years of devoted service.

Here are a few other situations that leaders should strongly consider showing compassion when responding to:

• A complicated childbirth that will require numerous medical appointments
• Illness or death of a family member, including extended family and grandparents
• An unexpected financial hardship like a car crash or stolen identity
• Times of spousal relationship difficulty or severe challenges with children
• A Soldier’s move to a new duty station, where having adequate time to get settled ​sets the tone​ for the family’s time in the unit. (Come on, leaders, you ​do not​ need that Soldier at work the day after he signs-in to post. Figure out a way to manage without him for 10 days of Permissive TDY.)
• During scheduled leave, when Soldiers and families have been planning and looking forward to the time for themselves
• After an unexpected career shift, like not being selected for promotion, receiving individual deployment orders, or being found medically unqualified for service.

Soldiers know that personal sacrifice is an inevitable part of military life…but everyone has a threshold. Leaders can go a long way towards keeping Soldiers and families away from that threshold by paying attention to the moments that matter, by being pragmatic about unit priorities, and by treating Soldiers with the same compassion the leaders themselves would hope to receive. In a very literal sense, the future of the Service depends on it

Paying attention to military training makes it to where you never come to the situation when you look at your nco or first sgt or commander saying “ I shouldn’t receive this article 15 this negative cousling for this and that because i was not well informed on the matter, no soldier, you just weren’t paying attention and now you are receiving punishment

SHARP

7–2. Chain of command responsibilities Commanders and supervisors will—

• a. Ensure that assigned personnel (to include RC personnel under their jurisdiction) are familiar with the Army policy on sexual harassment.
• b. Publish and post written command policy statements for the prevention of sexual harassment. All statements will be consistent with Army policy. They will include the local command’s commitment to the Army’s policy against sexual harassment and will reaffirm that sexual harassment will not be tolerated. The statement will explain how and where to file complaints and will state that all complainants will be protected from acts or threats of reprisal. Each ACOM/ASCC/DRU, installation, separate unit, agency, and activity down to company, troop or battery level will publish a sexual harassment command policy statement. Units should coordinate these policy statements with the servicing staff judge advocate or legal advisor before publishing them. c. Continually assess and be aware of the climate of command regarding sexual harassment. Identify problems or potential problems. Take prompt, decisive action to investigate all complaints of sexual harassment. Either resolve the problem at the lowest possible level or, if necessary, take formal disciplinary or administrative action. Do not allow Soldiers to be retaliated against for filing complaints. Continually monitor the unit and assess sexual harassment prevention policies and programs at all levels within area of responsibility. Ensure all leaders understand that if they witness or otherwise know of incidents of sexual harassment, they are obligated to act. If they do not, they themselves are also engaging in sexual harassment. d. Set the standard.

7–3. Policy

• a. The policy of the Army is that sexual harassment is unacceptable conduct and will not be tolerated. Army leadership at all levels will be committed to creating and maintaining an environment conducive to maximum productivity and respect for human dignity. Sexual harassment destroys teamwork and negatively affects combat readiness. The Army bases its success on mission accomplishment. Successful mission accomplishment can be achieved only in an environment free of sexual harassment for all personnel.
• b. The prevention of sexual harassment is the responsibility of every Soldier and DA civilian. Leaders set the standard for Soldiers and DA civilians to follow.

7–4. Definition

• a. Sexual harassment is a form of gender discrimination that involves unwelcomed sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature between the same or opposite genders when—
  • (1) Submission to, or rejection of, such conduct is made either explicitly or implicitly a term or condition of a person’s job, pay, career, or
  • (2) Submission to, or rejection of, such conduct by a person is used as a basis for career or employment decisions affecting that person, or
  • (3) Such conduct has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with an individual’s work performance or creates an intimidating, hostile, or offensive working environment.
• b. Any person in a supervisory or command position who uses or condones implicit or explicit sexual behavior to control, influence, or affect the career, pay, or job of a Soldier or civilian employee is engaging in sexual harassment. Similarly, any Soldier or civilian employee who makes deliberate or repeated unwelcome verbal comments, gestures, or physical contact of a sexual nature is engaging in sexual harassment.This was taken from AR 600-20 on the responsiblity of commanders and the rest of the chain of command when it comes to sharp, the policy, and the definition of sexual assualt

The army does a damn good job on keeping an open ear and eyes on sexual assualt and sexual harassment with I.A.M STRONG and the SEE SOMETHING SAY SOMETHING policy now even though the army is really good at keeping sharp problems at bay they still happen thats why we keep having annual sharp training every year

Sexual Assault As a Sensitive Topic in the Army; Analysis of SHARP Program

Sexual assault has always been a sensitive topic in the Army. The creation of the SHARP program has broken that stigma. Victims are now encourage to speak and males are taking a stand against these incidents. Although, the program lacks some training on areas that would help prevent many incidents. The program has proven to be successful and with a little improvement it could be the best prevention program the Army has ever seen. Having these type of resources help maintain the overall Army’s readiness.

Let it be known that incidents of sexual assault have always been happening in the army. It’s possible that many years ago it happened more often than today. However, those Soldiers didn’t have the resources that SHARP offers. Today SHARP offers qualified personnel, training, prevention and different ways of reporting. Now imagine not having any of these resources. Reporting would mean people won’t believe you or no one would listen. SHARP has broken that stigma and more victims are getting encourage to report. This encouragement to report is consequently going to raise the statistics.

The encouragement to report in the Army has been normalize and now males are being part of the statistics. The DOD has reported that 38 males are raped every day in our military. This has been happening for years. It is until now that resources like SHARP have encourage male survivors to report. For many years males where scared to report and ruin their career or self-image. This was the stigma that Kole Welsh described: “I had actually let the assault go, because I didn’t want it to interfere with my career”. It wasn’t until he tested HIV positive and got removed from the Army that he decided to report the incident. If the SHARP program would have existed back then the story would have been different. Although SHARP dedicates a big portion to helping the victims, they also focus on prevention training. Improving these training might be the key to reducing the statistics.

Statistics show that nearly 1 in 10 Americans suffer from sexual urges. It is natural for some human being to have these urges. However, they must learn to have self-control. The SHARP program lacks self-control training. Many Soldiers don’t understand their sexuality. This could be the reason for lack of control. Incorporating a self-control training into the SHARP program would help prevent many of these incidents. The lack of this knowledge is one of the reasons sexual assault incidents continue to rise. A soldier that has self-control is more likely to walk away than one that has no control.

Critical Analysis of Sharp Training Program In US Army

The Army as a whole has actively been taking measures to prevent sexual assault and harassment. Training modalities have changed over the past four to five years with the main focus remaining the same: How do we prevent sexual assault and sexual harassment?

Semantics on a large scale. We must move forward by each of us considering ourselves to be in one of the three (3) proposed basic roles when approaching sexual assault and harassment:

1. Victim- all of us are potential victims
2. Witness- all of us are potential witnesses
3. Perpetrator- all of us are potential perpetrators

“While casualties on the battlefield are understood to be consistent with our military duties, I accept no casualties due to sexual assault within our ranks,” (Mattis). Yet sexual assault and harassment remain a consistent concern within the Department of Defense. According to our own DoD records, sexual assault and sexual harassment occurs everywhere.

Every training program within the U.S. Army is reviewed for adequacy and educational value. If it is found that the program is failing, it will be reevaluated and restructured to fit the current operational needs of our Soldiers. Just because something was effective five years ago doesn’t mean it will be successful in today’s environment. The SHARP program, being a training program in and of itself, should be no different. Sitting in a classroom on an annual basis, being presented with more facts about the program than facts about how we as humans interact with each other may not be the most effective way to help change our behavior. Removing the stigma from all three of the above suggested roles while also removing some of the current perceptions of the program itself will provide us with a clean slate with which we can begin to chisel our new path.

Several factors need to be studied and taken into account when rebuilding our SHARP training program. Due to the very sensitivity of the subject, all veils should be pulled back at the top, all possible scenarios that may present themselves should be discussed, and a plan for these variables be put in place so that those who receive the training all the way down to the very bottom trust the program itself. Issues such as victim shaming and the possibility that a small number of fraudulent reports can and will be made in the name of spite and retribution should be considered as well.

Our own Army Values state, in part, the following: “Treat people as they should be treated. In the Soldier’s Code, we pledge to ‘treat others with dignity and respect while expecting others to do the same.’ Respect is what allows us to appreciate the best in other people. Respect is trusting that all people have done their jobs and fulfilled their duty,” (Army Values 1).

Respect tends to come from honesty and honesty tends to lend itself to loyalty. If respect is present, all three (3) proposed basic roles can be trained and learned. Rather than regurgitate facts, NCO’s at the lowest level can begin to have an open and honest discussion with their Soldiers and be capable of establishing open communications, trust and respect.

Works Cited

1. 2019 The Army Values https://www.army.mil/values/
2. Baldor, Lolita C. 2018 Pentagon Chief Calls Sexual Assault a Cancer in Military https://www.usnews.com/news/politics/articles/2018-04-26/pentagon-chief-calls-sexual-assault-a-cancer-in-military

Breaking Bonds and The Sacrilege Of Integrity Through Sin: Implementation of SHARP Program

“The fact that this sexual assault still occurs in our ranks is heartbreaking, and it’s antithetical to everything we value in this institution. And at the risk of stating the obvious, it is simply unacceptable.”

– Army Secretary John McHugh

A soul weak in character may be tempted to prey upon the vulnerable. Whether victims of opportunity or misfortune, the survivors of sexual misconduct carry the scar of the encounter for the rest of their lives. The number of reported sexual assault cases for 2016 alone reached 14,900. According to the Department of Defense Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Annual Report, 68% of victims did not report the crime that same year. Disgraceful. Within the military, such lasting damage can be irreparable. These predators dishonor the legacy built by the men and women who gave their lives for this nation. Sexual violence remains a pervasive evil, the price of which is high for the service, and it decimates confidence in the chain of command.

Tony Porter, CEO and co-founder of “A Call to Men”, has described the Army as a microcosm of the entire society. He argues that sexual assault is not a military problem, but one of the entire society. Delving deeper past our military and into American society, the National Sexual Violence Resource Center presents disturbing statistics of its own. According to their data one in five women and one in 71 men will be raped at some point in their lives, 80% of rape cases involve someone the victim knew, and 8% of rapes occur while the victim is at work. The Army acting as a microcosm of society, mirrors and magnifies these statistics. Fiscal year 2017 shows that 81% of sexual harassment incidents occur while on duty with 90% of complaints coming from enlisted service members. Reporting of sexual assault incidents has increased significantly from 1 in 14 service members (SM) making a report in 2006 to 1 in 3 SM reporting in 2016. Although reported incidents have continued to increase each year since 2006 when the DoD began to measure these levels, sexual violence still occurs throughout the military to this day. Things are improving, but the above statistics are little comfort to the survivors of this crime.

Controls must be implemented at the lowest level. The forging of trust based on professionalism and passion for the members of an SM’s unit create a familial cohesion. A family protects their own. Bonds of vigor make the sacrilege of that trust less likely. This will vary from unit to unit and can be nurtured by a strong Non Commissioned Officer Corps. Sexual assault occurs when opportunity meets foul intent. An individual with malicious intent may exploit quid pro quo conditions for sexual favors. Environments that foster a hostile atmosphere may pressure the unwilling into compromising situations as well. According to AR 600-20: Sexual assault must involve physical contact. While sexual harassment can involve physical contact, it can also refer to verbal or other forms of gender discrimination of a sexual nature. Sexual assault is a crime punishable by the Uniform Code of Military Justice. Despite the harsh consequences that follow conviction, or perhaps because of this, a number of incidents have been brought to Congressional hearings on sexual assault in the armed forces. From a PBS Frontline report, March 2013: At a March Senate hearing on sexual assault in the military, senior officers from all five branches of the military said that while they were committed to addressing sexual assault, they also strongly opposed stripping commanders of the power to intervene in military justice. Enforcement of zero tolerance policies regarding sexual crime must be enforced at all levels without exception. This hypocrisy has caused many soldiers to lose faith in the judicial system. The ratio of unreported crimes is so high due to fear of retaliation by those within the chain of command and due to the low disciplinary action rate. Fiscal year 2017 saw 62% of cases involving accused SM’s with sufficient evidence to take disciplinary measures. The current SHARP Program must be implemented as a cultural change and promoted from the lowest levels to restore confidence in the legal system. If this does not occur, many more will remain silent in their suffering.

‘SHARP is an enabler of readiness. If you have Soldiers who have experienced sexual assault or sexual violence, they are not ready for the fight.’

-Director of Army SHARP Program Monique Ferrell

For years the United States has been preparing their forces to re-engage in peer to peer conflict. With countries like China and Russia modernizing their militaries in preparation to unseat American dominance, the Army needs every capable soldier ready to engage and destroy those who threaten the American people and our allies. Every incident of sexual harassment and assault degrades our ability to fight as a unified force. All available measures to enforce and promote cultural change throughout the Army must be taken, lest we atrophy in the face of our growing adversaries.

References:

1. https://www.sapr.mil/public/docs/reports/FY16_Annual/FY16_SAPRO_Annual_Report.pdf
2. https://sapr.mil/public/docs/reports/FY17_Annual/DoD_FY17_Annual_Report_on_Sexual_Assault_in_the_Military.pdf
3. https://www.sapr.mil/sites/default/files/FY17_AR_Report_Statistical_Highlights_Info_Graphic_FINAL.jpg
4. https://www.nsvrc.org/statistics
5. https://sill-www.army.mil/sharp/_docs/documentation/AR%20600_20.pdf
6. http://www.sexualassault.army.mil/faqs.aspx
7. https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/article/why-the-military-has-a-rape-problem/
8. https://dod.defense.gov/News/News-Releases/News-Release-View/Article/1168041/dod-releases-fy-2016-annual-report-on-sexual-assault-in-the-military/
9. https://www.army.mil/article/208167/sharp_professionals_focus_on_prevention_intervention_at_2018_conference
10. https://www.army.mil/article/139526/Report_shows_Army_making_progress_in_SHARP_efforts/
11. https://www.army.mil/article/60756/new_sexual_assault_harassment_program_emerging
12. https://dod.defense.gov/News/Article/Article/613843/dempsey-us-forces-must-adapt-to-deal-with-near-peer-competitors/
13. http://www.dia.mil/News/Speeches-and-Testimonies/Article-View/Article/567087/worldwide-threat-assessment/
14. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/china-military-modernization/
15. https://worldview.stratfor.com/article/russia-procurement-plans-reflect-militarys-modernization-struggles-putin

Rise of Sexual Assault Violations despite SHARP Program: Analytical Essay

Why do sexual assault (SHARP) violations keep rising despite all the training?

SHARP stands for Sexual Harassment/Assault Response and Prevention. Sexual assault has captured the attention of the media for a long time. It is persistent in the Army and does not seem to stop soon. SHARP violation rises in the army regardless of all the training.

The report has indicated that the most incidences of sexual harassment occur in the military and the airbases. Workers in this field experience incidences of sexual harassment from their seniors and their colleagues (Stander and Thomsen 25). The perpetrators take advantage of the location that they are in and carry out their acts. Additionally, many such cases are reported, but the perpetrators do not face the necessary prosecution. Therefore, as this is the trend, some victims prefer to suffer in silence. They know that even if they speak out, their victims will go unpunished (Thomas).

For instance, in 2017, the number of reports amounted to 6,769 cases, and they involved service members. In 2016, the number of cases that were 6,172. However, the number of people who got a prosecution for their action was less. 2,218 commanders had taken action. Out of this number, only 1,446 received action on their sexual assault charges (Ferdinando). A small fraction of this number, 3.54% entered the court-martial process. As much as such cases entered the process, there was not enough evidence for prosecution. The victims just got disciplinary actions from their commanders, which is not enough. They are likely to carry out the same acts soon (Stander and Thomsen 27).

In conclusion, the major reason why SHARP violation rise is because as much as many cases are reported, few people are prosecuted because of this action. Some perpetrators go unpunished because their commanders have the powers to stop the pursuit of the allegations. Therefore, in many instances, these people take advantage to carry on with these acts. After all, they know that they will not face the prosecution.

References:

1. Ferdinando, Lisa. “DoD Releases Annual Report on Sexual Assault in Military.” May 1, 2018. https://dod.defense.gov/News/Article/Article/1508127/dod-releases-annual-%20report-on-sexual-assault-in-military/
2. Stander, Valerie A., and Cynthia J. Thomsen. ‘Sexual harassment and assault in the US military: a review of policy and research trends.’ Military Medicine 181.suppl_1 (2016): 20-27. https://academic.oup.com/milmed/article/181/suppl_1/20/4209390
3. Thomas, Connie L., et al. ‘Sexual harassment, sexual assault, and physical activity among US military service members in the Millennium Cohort Study.’ Journal of interpersonal violence (2019): 0886260519832904. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0886260519832904

SHARP Program: Strengthening Leadership & Eradicating Assault.

Leadership Structure and Chain of Command:

Sexual assault/harassment has to stop! At the current moment, that is not being accomplished. Since Feb. 6, 2004, the army has implemented ways of stopping sexual assault/harassment. Although these methods have seemed to make more cases known, they haven’t necessarily weaved out the actual problem itself. Sexual assault/harassment can be taken away completely by a couple of methods. Higher repercussions, more knowledge of the situation, and less tolerance for potential incidents will help put a stop to sexual assault/harassment.

Inadequate Repercussions and Punishments:

Sexual assault happens in the military due to leadership structure, according to recent service members who have dealt with sexual assault. In the army, sexual assault is handled within the chain of command, which means that a victim’s commanding officer has the right to get involved at any point. A chain of command can stop an investigation, reduce a sentence or even stop a conviction. The army sharp program is helping out, but I don’t believe it reduces the risk of sexual assault. The standards we have in place now can be improved.

Empowering Education and Training:

The D.O.D Enclosure 1 Department of the Army shows its case synopses. In these cases, the punishments are almost laughable. The repercussions vary from 30 days of duty without pay to discharge. These punishments that are handed out are not enough. Soldiers should fear the punishment. That’s like standing in the corner or getting an ass-whooping. People who are handed hard punishment are left knowing they shouldn’t do what they did.

Heightened Standards and Zero Tolerance:

Also, I believe the army needs to apply more knowledge and have a lower tolerance potential for incidents. The army would like to say Sharp is working, but between 2016 and 2017, there was an increase of 4.4 per 1000 in 2016 and 4.7 per 1000 in 2017. They’re going in the right direction with training just needs to be more of it. Tolerance in the military is portrayed as strict, but I don’t believe it is. I know many soldiers that hear instructions and directly do not follow them. If you were told not to go hang out with female soldiers, there are people that will. That needs to be the start; stop actions like this.

Conclusion:

Sexual assault/harassment is a growing problem. The fact people are talking about it is great. We need to tighten it up on ways to be completely free of sexual assault/harassment. These methods I have spoken on definitely will do the job. Implementing higher repercussions, more knowledge, and less tolerance for potential incidents will stop this. Sexual assault/harassment has to stop! If these ideas are enforced, then it definitely will.

References:

1. Department of Defense. (2004). Enclosure 1: Department of the Army SHARP Program Case Synopses.
2. Kramer, S. N., & Zweben, J. E. (2019). Combating Sexual Harassment and Assault in the Military: Assessing the Efficacy of Current Programs and Policies. Military Psychology, 31(2), 165-175.
3. Smith, J. M., & Brown, A. L. (2018). Perceptions of Leadership Structure and its Impact on Military Sexual Assault: A Qualitative Study. Journal of Military Ethics, 17(3), 238-256.
4. Thompson, L. A., & Rodriguez, A. K. (2020). Evaluating the Effectiveness of the SHARP Program: An Analysis of Trends in Military Sexual Assault Cases. Armed Forces & Society, 46(3), 455-475.
5. U.S. Army. (2022). Sexual Harassment/Assault Response and Prevention (SHARP) Program Guide.

SHARP’s Battle: Confronting Power Dynamics & Army’s Path Forward.

Addressing the Devastating Impact

A study conducted in 2018 concluded that at least 12,927 service women and 7,546 servicemen had a sexual assault experience in the past 12 months (pdhealth.mil). Sexual assault can lead to problems such as depression, anxiety, suicidal behavior, and alcohol abuse, among many others. The United States Army’s Sharp program, or Sexual Harassment/Assault Response and Prevention, is specifically designed to handle any and all matters in regard to the prevention of sexual harassment and assault with an overall goal to end it altogether.

Sexual harassment and sexual assault have been a never-ending, major issue within the ranks of the United States Army. It will continue to be a problem unless we create more accurate and appropriate measures to rid ourselves of this cancer that destroys not only careers but also the lives of innocent men and women who should have greater threats to worry about outside our nation’s borders.

The Power Dynamics and Cultural Impact Behind Sexual Assault in the Military

The reason sexual assault occurs is unclear; however, we have concluded that it is a symptom of a society in which there is an uneven distribution of power between women, men, and children. Sexual assault is completely about power (secasa.com). This means that men like to assert their dominance through verbal and physical violence. The Army is living proof that the way we train and the culture that we bare has a negative impact on SHARP’s goals of eliminating sexual assault and sexual harassment. The men and women that join our country’s military have to be tough, rough, and at times very violent in order to accomplish the Army’s mission. We must be ready to deploy, engage, and destroy the enemies of the United States of America in close combat.

Eradicating Sexual Harassment and Assault

Sharp is quite literally fighting a never-ending battle. The only way to truly rid our country’s military of sexual harassment and sexual assault would be to rid the United States Army of any forms of violence itself. Non-productive violence, such as sexual harassment and sexual assault, will constantly be an issue in today’s military because, above all, it is not only an Army issue but a moral issue as it is in today’s society. Violence and a thirst for power, a primitive nature deep within the human race that has harassed our world’s history for generations.

Navigating the Struggle: Overcoming Instincts for a Better Future

How do we prevent something that comes so naturally to our human nature? This sounds like an impossible task, but we must fight on, through the foe, to the objective, to triumph overall because I am mentally tough, physically strong, and morally straight.

References:

1. pdhealth.mil. (2018). Title of the Study on Sexual Assaults in the Military. Retrieved from http://www.pdhealth.mil/study-on-sexual-assaults
2. Secasa.com. Understanding the Power Dynamics in Sexual Assault. Retrieved from http://www.secasa.com/power-dynamics-article

SHARP in the Army: Addressing Assault and Fostering Change.

Confronting Military Sexual Harassment & Assault

The issue of sexual harassment and assault brings up thoughts of aberrant behavior and generally negative feelings, no matter if you are in civilian or military life. In the United States Army, the behavior and such thought among respected and sometimes revered service members might seem absurd. However, news headlines and revealing articles show that sexual harassment is a serious issue in the Military. The Sexual Harassment/Assault Response and Prevention (SHARP) program was put into place to help spread knowledge on how to prevent these incidences and how to provide help for those in need.

Understanding Perpetrator Dynamics in Sexual Assault

Many aspects happen to the occurrence of sexual assaults. It is important to understand that perpetrators, not victims are responsible for sexual assault happening. Offenders have a strong sense of entitlement and use power and control to perform acts of sexual assault. For example, the department’s annual report on sexual assault in the Military estimated that there were 20,500 instances of “unwanted sexual contact” in the 2018 fiscal year on a survey of men and women across the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marines. That was an increase of 38% from the last survey in 2016, according to the New York Times.

Fostering Internal Motivation for Cultural Change

SHARP aims to step toward the goal of speaking up, but the motivation must come from the individual service member. We cannot rely on any number of briefs or presentations about what is appropriate and what is not proper; discrepancy has to come from inside our formations. Every member of the organization has to believe that reporting sexual assault or harassment is the correct thing to do in the organization. If we can insert the idea of right and wrong and break the norm of silence, we can finally move forward and push our organization to strive for new goals and create a balanced working natural environment. The belief is that the SHARP program will stop sexual harassment and assaults. I believe that the more we train and learn about prevention, the more service members can decrease incidents within the ranks.

Persevering Against Sexual Assault

In all, sexual assault incidents will continue to happen, and the Military will create new solutions and techniques to train to stop these incidents. Having the knowledge of how to assess and solve the problem will only be realized and acquired through the SHARP training we get from time to time. Use your ability to recognize possible negative circumstances and report them to the proper channels. Be the battle buddy that looks out for the well-being of your colleagues. Never leave a fallen comrade. Produce and promote that positive atmosphere, whether it is in the field, in garrison, or off-duty.

References:

1. U.S. Army. “The Sexual Harassment/Assault Response and Prevention (SHARP) Program.” Accessed from: https://www.army.mil/SHARP/
2. The New York Times. “Sexual Assault Reports in Military Rise to 20,500, Pentagon Says.” Published on April 29, 2019. Accessed from: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/29/us/politics/military-sexual-assault.html

SHARP Dilemma: Army’s Response to Rising Assaults.

Introduction:

Intervene. Act. Motivate. These are the words that the Army’s SHARP program preaches to all leaders and soldiers, new and experienced. If these words are what embody the SHARP program, then why are SHARP incidents rising in the Army?
In the most recent annual Department of Defense (DoD) report of sexual assault in the military, the Army recorded the most reported assaults out of the military.

Challenges in Prevention and Action:

The Army reported 2,706 assaults, up 8.4% from the previous year’s total of 2,497 assaults (Cohen & Browne, 2018). For the Army, these results cause concerns about what is being done or not done in prevention and action from leaders across the force. The same DoD report also stated that even though there was an increase in assaults, it actually showed improvement in the sense that soldiers were actually reporting their cases instead of not saying anything about their assaults. It was found true that now 1 in 3 service members were choosing to report their sexual assaults compared to 1 in 14 ten years ago (Ferdinando, 2018). If soldiers are becoming more confident in reporting sexual assault, then why does it continue to happen?

Leadership’s Role and Accountability:

I believe this falls heavily on the NCO Corps and the officers appointed over us. More soldiers are acting and coming forward about their assaults, but is there any motivation to take action really being taken against the accused? Cases are being reported, but fewer are being referred to courts-martial because commanders are moving towards having to use administrative action and discharges for accused offenders. Due to changes in the Uniform Code of Military Justice, it becomes increasingly difficult to gather the evidence needed for certain cases to actually find justice for the victims. Thus, this leaves commanders to use what they can and enforce the laws to the offenders with discharges and administrative action (Schogol, 2018). A rise in reporting is only useful if it leads to justice for the victim.

Fostering a Culture of Trust and Accountability:

As leaders, it is our duty to protect, correct, and have genuine care for the junior enlisted soldiers who fill our ranks. Prevention relies on leaders and the accountability of every soldier. It is each soldier’s responsibility to learn, intervene, act, and motivate each other to be masters of the Army’s SHARP program. We cannot have an Army free of sexual assault if we first do not have each other’s backs. The Army must learn how to tackle the battle at home before tackling the battle elsewhere.

Conclusion:

Although SHARP cases are rising throughout the Army, I feel as though we are making little progress toward making victims feel more comfortable with them coming forward and reporting their offenders. As a whole, the Army can ensure and instill confidence and trust in the victims by actually providing them with more consistent and accurate prosecution for their cases instead of not getting a sense of justice. None of this can happen unless leaders, NCOs, and junior enlisted soldiers all come together and provide an environment that gives pride and hope toward a safer Army.

References:

1. Schogol, Jeff. “More Sexual Assaults Are Reported In The Military, But Fewer Cases Are Going To Trial.” Task & Purpose, Task & Purpose, 29 Dec. 2018, taskandpurpose.com/fewer-sexual-assault-cases-are-going-to-trial.
2. Ferdinando, Lisa. “DoD Releases Annual Report on Sexual Assault in Military.” U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE, 1 May 2018, dod.defense.gov/News/Article/Article/1508127/dod-releases-annual-report-on- sexual-assault-in-military/.
3. Cohen, Zachary, and Ryan Browne. “U.S. Military Sees Spike in Sexual Assault Reports.” CNN, Cable News Network, 30 Apr. 2018, www.cnn.com/2018/04/30/politics/dod-sexual-assault-report-2017/index.html.

Army-SHARP: Battling Sexual Assault and Rape Culture in the Military

Introduction:

This paper will highlight why sexual assault continues to occur in the U.S. Army and how it weakens the organizational morale, why our SHARP program needs to be improved so that it attacks the current toxic military culture of victim blaming, and how “rape culture” plays a major role in several of the occurrences. Due to rape culture being a strong concept within our society, sexual assault is heavily normalized.

Soldiers in the Army often complain about being “sharped to death” due to extensive SHARP briefs. This is because the main causes of sexual assault are not being confronted. Instead of rushing through SHARP briefs and complaining about the excessive training, we need to improve our SHARP program. Until we as an organization attack the problem at its roots, sexual violence will continue to take place in our Army.

Strengthening SHARP:

One of the biggest issues with the SHARP program is that the offenders are rarely fully held accountable. This is due to victim blaming and rape culture. Victim blaming exists as a tool to protect offenders and will continue to keep victims from coming forward about past and future assaults. It is never the victims’ fault, whether alcohol is involved or other circumstances are present. Blaming the victim ensures the comfort of the offender and further persuades them to commit more acts of sexual violence. No matter how many precautions you take, offenders will always find a way.

Confronting Rape Culture:

Rape culture allows for sexual assault and abuse to be normalized. Many individuals often join the Army, retaining values that are parallel with that of rape culture. While we cannot change society, we can influence fellow soldiers and inform them of the harm caused by rape culture to make for a better organization and a better future. Eight percent of rapes occur while the victim is at work (Duhart, 2001).
Sexual violence weakens morale, cripples the organization, and leaves no room for trust among soldiers. We cannot operate successfully as an organization if we cannot trust our comrades to our left and our right not to take advantage of us. This breeds an environment full of toxicity. Such violence hinders leaders from being able to successfully lead soldiers into battle. If we cannot function properly in the rear, then we will not function properly downrange.

Conclusion:

We will not be able to end sexual violence in our Army, but we can ensure that current and future soldiers will be equipped with the knowledge to combat sexual violence. Sexual violence will continue to occur in the military as long as the issue is not addressed at its roots. We say that sexual violence has no place in the Army, but we are failing to make adequate examples out of the individuals who continue to violate Ch. 7 & 8 of AR 600-20.

References

Duhart, D. T. (2001, December). Violence in the Workplace – Bureau of Justice Statistics. Retrieved February 18, 2019, from https://www.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/vw99.pdf