SARC provides education, support for Bagram Airmen

Published July 4, 2011
By Master Sgt. Mary Davis
455th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs

BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan -- -- The Air Force Sexual Assault Response Coordinator provides education, assistance and support to help keep Bagram Airmen "Responsive and Precise."

"Whether Airmen are deployed or at their home stations, the bottom line is sexual assault can be a problem wherever you go," said Capt. Sara Ortbals, SARC for the northeast Afghanistan region. "Our focus is on prevention. Making yourself less vulnerable by being aware of your surroundings, staying alert and having a wingman will help make you less of a target for predators."

Many sexual assaults happen within the first 30 days of a deployment, when people are new and in unfamiliar territory. This is also true during the last 30 days, when people are relaxed and complacent in their surroundings, Captain Ortbals said.

"Sometimes Airmen have a false sense of security during deployments, because military members are supposed to watch out for one another," she said. "People need to be cautious and pay attention to their environment regardless of when they get here."

According to the National Institute of Justice & Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, one out of every six American women was the victim of an attempted or completed rape in her lifetime, and about one in 33 men experienced an attempted or completed rape in his lifetime.

"Although the statistics show sexual assault primarily happens to women, men are also assaulted as well," said the SARC, who hails from Tampa, Fla. "Men need to be just as cautious as women."

If sexual assaults occur, knowing who to inform makes a difference in the type of report that is filed. Victims have two reporting options available - restricted and unrestricted reports. Restricted reports allow Airmen to receive medical assistance and counseling without initiating an investigation. To initiate a restricted report, victims can only inform SARCs, medical professionals or victim advocates. Chaplains have 100-percent confidentially and victims can reach out to them for spiritual guidance; however, due to their confidentially before such communication can be considered a restricted report, it must be reported or forwarded to a SARC.

"Restricted reports allow Airmen to get the medical treatment and counseling they need, but maintain the option at a later date to change their report to unrestricted. This permits them to potentially pursue their perpetrators, when victims are stronger and have more control," she said.

Victims also have the option to file an unrestricted report, which initiates a full investigation of the incident. Reporting a sexual assault event to a victim's chain of command, law enforcement, Air Force Office of Special Investigation, security forces members or other criminal investigative service automatically initiates an unrestricted report.

Since Captain Ortbals supports approximately 80 forward operating bases, she works closely with victim advocates to help with case management, advertise available helping agencies and be a listening ear for victims of sexual assault.

Staff Sgt. Jennifer Yates is a victim advocate at Bagram and also at her home station at Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho.

"I wanted to help people, because in the military, we are supposed to take care of each other," said Sergeant Yates, a line delivery dispatcher with Bagram's 455th Expeditionary Maintenance Squadron, and Priest River, Idaho native. "Sexual assault is a violent crime that hurts people physically and psychologically. I want to be there to listen and show compassion for what happened to them, whether the event happened recently or in the past."

The SARC and victim advocates help present and past victims of sexual assault overcome their traumatic events. Sometimes when people who were victims in the past deploy, the stress of going downrange dredges up past emotions about the event, Captain Ortbals said.

"We also talk to deployed military members whose loved ones back home were sexually assaulted in the past," she said. "We try to help military members understand what their love ones went through and how they can support and help them through it."

Bagram members who would like to volunteer to become victim advocates can attend an eight-hour victim advocate training class July 23 or 24. Class sizes are limited and pre-registration is required. For more information, visit the SARC on the first floor of Bldg. 25117 in Camp Cunningham or e-mail 455aew.sarc@bgab.afcent.af.mil.