Dover Air Force Base does not appear to have anything approaching a significant problem with sexual assault, if the reported numbers reflect actual instances. But the base will hold a Sexual Assault Prevention and Response stand-down day Friday.
"Stand-down" means the day-to-day mission is put on hold, generally to review operational or personal conduct - a glut of aircraft crashes, for instance, will prompt a safety stand-down.
On May 17, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel ordered all U.S. military commanders to hold stand-downs by July 1 to reaffirm the Pentagon's "zero tolerance" for sexual assault, which appears to be on the rise throughout the military, according to DoD statistics and extrapolated estimates. The Pentagon's latest report estimates a one-third increase from fiscal year 2010 through FY12.
At 7:30 a.m., 436th Airlift Wing commander Col. Rick Moore will address Dover's airmen, who will then attend interactive squadron commander’s calls and small group training sessions across the installation.
The emphasis, base officials say, is on three key points:
- Sexual assault and harassment "will not be overlooked or ignored";
- airmen at all levels, both military and civilian, "will be held accountable for their conduct and behavior"; and
- victims of such crimes "will be treated with dignity and respect, as well as provided the best medical rehabilitative care available."
“Our ultimate goal of this day is to establish an unfailing culture of dignity and respect for one another ... a culture in which we’re literally shocked that an Airman could deviate so far from the acceptable standards as to commit sexual assault or sexual harassment, or that an Airman could be the victim of such behavior, regardless of who the perpetrator is,” Moore said in a statement. “Until we reach this level, we will have to continue to work hard on this issue…not until the discussion goes away, but until we don’t need to have it anymore!”
