SAPR Down Day set for June 14th

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Betty R. Chevalier
  • 355th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
DAVIS-MONTHAN AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz. - --  355th Fighter Wing members will be required to attend a Sexual Assault and Prevention briefing at the base theatre here on June 14.

Gen. Mark Welsh III, Chief of Staff of the Air Force, has directed every Air Force Wing to conduct a SAPR Down Day.

The 355th Fighter Wing commander's call will start in the morning at 6 a.m. and continue until 9 a.m., starting at the top every hour. Two additional briefings will be held in the afternoon at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.

All 355th FW members, military and Department of Defense civilians, must attend one of these classes. Tenant unit are not required to participate, but must conduct their own SAPR down day by June 30.

The purpose is to take a pause in the day-to-day mission to reiterate zero tolerance of sexual assault and focus on fostering a climate of dignity and respect in the Air Force.

The briefing does not count as annual SAPR training, but is still mandatory.

Separate squadron commander's calls and activities will be determined by the squadron commanders.

Only the commander's calls are necessary, unless squadron commanders mandate other activities for their squadrons.

There will be other base-wide activities throughout the day. Some activities include Special Victims Council, which is a program that provides an attorney to victims of sexual assault to advocate and help them through their case. A Rape Aggression Defense demo will be available for women and children older than age nine. A working group, open to all, is being led by Chief Master Sgt. Dawna Cnota, 355th Fighter Wing command chief master sergeant, to discuss sexual assault in the military and what can be done to tackle the problem.

Many other events will be available for those wanting to attend. For a full list of available activities and times, contact Vickie Ryder at 228-7272 or your squadron commander.