8th Fighter Wing joins DoD, U.S. in recognizing sexual assault ‘hurts one, affects all’ Published April 3, 2011 By Staff Sgt. Amanda Savannah 8th Fighter Wing Public Affairs KUNSAN AIR BASE, Republic of Korea -- To join the Department of Defense and the U.S. in recognizing April as Sexual Assault Awareness Month, the Wolf Pack has planned several events throughout the month. Spearheaded by Capt. Terri Zuber, 8th Fighter Wing sexual assault response coordinator, and 1st Lt. Ingrid Muniz, 8th Force Support Squadron food services officer and alternate SARC, the events will focus on providing information and increasing awareness of sexual assault. Kunsan's SAAM events include a "Stamp Out Sexual Assault" campaign April 8, in which sexual assault response team members will spread awareness through stamping people's hands with the message, "Got Consent?" The team will also be available at information booths from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the dining facility April 11 and 25, and at the base exchange April 18. The wing will offer several presentations of "Sex Signals!," a production presented by a touring sexual assault awareness group from Chicago, Ill. The 90-minute shows are scheduled to take place in the theater at 9:30 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. April 28 and 29. "These events not only spread awareness, but are also for if someone is interested in taking part in the (SART) program, they can get information and get involved," Captain Zuber said. "Lieutenant Muniz is a volunteer, and we also have victim advocates. These are folks who get paired up with a victim who wants someone who is going to be there step-by-step through the process of going from victim to survivor. Anybody who says 'I want to do this,' as long as their commander lets them, they can. The only restrictions are on certain career fields where there can be a conflict of interest, such as medical, security forces and such." These events join others at locations across the DoD, which has titled the campaign, "Hurts One, Affects All." "I think this motto is true, because ... if you are the individual who is assaulted and you don't get help, you take that everywhere," Captain Zuber said. "Just like any other trauma in somebody's life, you can't do your job, you can't focus on what's important. Then you start seeing your career go downhill and your buddies at work can't depend on you anymore, so it doesn't just affect the individual, it affects the entire unit." Although we focus on sexual assault awareness in April, it is a topic that is always at the top of every military leader's list, including Air Force leadership. "We must commit to eliminating sexual assault from our Air Force," said Secretary of the Air Force Michael Donley, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz and Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force James Roy in a message issued to all Airmen. "Air Force leaders have focused on sexual assault prevention and response for several years, with special emphasis on victim care. Unfortunately, sexual assault continues to burden our Airmen and degrade our mission effectiveness. Sexual assault is a crime, and there is no place for this behavior in our Air Force. We demand better of ourselves." To support the Air Force Sexual Assault Prevention and Response program, Captain Zuber offers the required bystander intervention training every Wednesday in the health and wellness center. "But at Kunsan, we also like to do outreach in other ways," said Captain Zuber. "We host meals at the Sonlight Inn, we have volunteers who work with A-Cubed (Airmen Assisting Airmen, Kunsan's safe-walk-home program), and we've done our version of town patrol where we wear our 'Sex apparel' (SARC T-shirts and jerseys), just to remind people and keep them situationally aware." "We are also very unique in that we have a sexual assault theater group," she continued. "This is a group of folks on base who wanted to bring a unique level of awareness to the Wolf Pack. They perform skits relating to real-life sexual assault events. They add audience interaction and do character rewinds to give the performers a chance to act the victim, perpetrator, friend or supervisor and explain why they made the choices they did." These SART and theater group members, Captain Zuber and Lieutenant Muniz are not the only Wolf Pack members responsible for sexual assault prevention, however. Prevention begins with every Airman. "The Air Force has its wingman concept that is about looking out for each other, and also making smart choices," Captain Zuber said. "In relation to sexual assault, we bring up alcohol a lot because it has such a large contributing factor, but it doesn't mean you can't go out and drink. But go out with your friends, don't leave your friends unattended, don't go home with someone else if you are incapable of consenting, and don't go home with someone who is incapable of consenting." "Make a plan before you go out," Lieutenant Muniz added. "Know where you are going and what your plan is to leave and get home, and follow it."