Victim advocates aid Incirlik AB Airmen

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Jack Sanders
  • 39th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
INCIRLIK AIR BASE, Turkey --  January marked a completion of training for a new class of Sexual Assault Prevention and Response victim advocates at Incirlik Air Base. Now, those new VAs are utilizing what they know to help Airmen.

Victim advocates are volunteer unit SAPR representatives, charged with acting as the go between for unit members and the sexual assault response coordinator.

Helping people is why many Airmen like Senior Master Sgt. Jason Chiasson, 39th Communication Squadron production superintendent, said he decided to become a VA.

"Being a victim advocate is very rewarding because we get the opportunity to educate the base on a lot of misconceptions and prevention," Chiasson said.  "Answering questions and removing uncertainty with a critical program like SAPR is rewarding.  Having the ability to interact on a daily basis to increase awareness and hopefully detect trends early is a bonus as well.  "

Within the SAPR community, installation sexual assault response coordinators rely on VAs to maintain a presence in the different squadrons. It's the VAs responsibility to act as the conduit between the Airmen in his or her unit and the SARC. Doing so allows them to help with prevention and response to sexual assault and harassment.

"The victim advocacy program provides an extension of the SAPR office throughout the base," said Capt. Stu Tribble, 39th Air Base Wing, sexual assault response coordinator. "That's a great thing because when you think about it they're really the motor that runs the program.

"Look at the numbers," he said. "There are about 1,400 assigned military members to Incirlik. There are two people in the SAPR office, and we're suppose to influence that huge mass? When you get people who are interested within their units you get people who they know more, they interact with on a daily basis, and they might even trust more."

While VAs provide a key role to the SAPR community, it's not a job everyone can do, Tribble said.

"I applaud people who are interested in the first place," Tribble said. "There's a screening process to ensure their motives are true. If you're looking for a bullet statement this is probably not for you. When you get a phone call at 3 a.m. and you have to respond to a case you might be real quick to think, 'I don't want any part in this.'"

Victim advocate hopefuls must obtain permission from their command on a memorandum, pass a background check and screening from the SARC, and attend a 40-hour training course held once a quarter by the SAPR office. Once all that is accomplished they will be enrolled in the Defense Sexual Assault Advocate Certification Program, and then the National Organization of Victim Assistance. Once certified VAs must accomplish 32 continued education units to be eligible to recertify every two years.

"To recertify you have to have documented proof of all your CEUs before they'll allow you to recertify, and that's for (SARCs) too," Tribble said.

Despite the challenges that come with becoming a VA Tribble said he still has a large number of volunteers compared to most bases.

"It's a great thing for me to see it come full circle since I became a VA and now I've had the privilege to become a SARC. I get to work with so many people coming from so many different backgrounds and at the end of the day they just want to help when they can."

Those interested in becoming a VA, contact the SAPR office at 676-1084.

"If you don't have a solid victim advocacy program you won't be as effective in SAPR and won't reach people," Tribble said.