Resource Roadshow

AUGUSTA (06/02/2021) (readMedia)-- On May 2, 2021, Col. Aaron King stood in front of a group of soldiers from the 152nd Support Maintenance Company, one of many units that he oversees as the commander of the 120th Regional Support Group. Behind him stood four other key individuals – his command sergeant major, the provost marshal, the staff judge advocate and the sexual assault response coordinator.

King assembled the team last year early in his command tour, and has been visiting units during drill weekends. The meetings are in smaller groups to minimize social pressure, and soldiers hear from each of the speakers, learning about how that individual can be a resource and how they play a role in responding to an incident.

"It is my job to ensure that every soldier feels safe, regardless of where they are or what they are doing," said King during his remarks. "I have a 23-year-old daughter on active duty, and I can only imagine how devastated my family and I would be if she were to be assaulted."

In his portion of the presentations, King reiterates that regardless of a soldier's upbringing or where they come from, "the Army family should be the safest place for all of them."

"We ask a lot of you," said Command Sgt. Maj. Duane Rancourt to the group. "We'll ask you to deploy, stay late for a briefing, or drag a 90 pound sled for 50 meters. But we will never ask you to tolerate sexual harassment or sexual assault in your formations."

According to Maj. Katie Trost, the full time staff judge advocate for the Maine National Guard, a large part of her presentation involves discussing the types of legal actions that can come out of a sexual assault case.

"The process is different in the National Guard versus the active duty component," said Trost, commenting on her role. "We rely heavily on civilian law enforcement because we don't have a criminal investigative division in the National Guard. We do have resources however, including the Office of Complex Investigations through National Guard Bureau if we need to investigate cases locally."

Chief Warrant Officer 4 Kartika Wright is the sexual assault response coordinator, or SARC. During her comments, Wright focuses on a part of her job that most soldiers do not see or experience – response. Wright talks about her role as a primary case manager, as well as the Sexual Assault Prevention and Response (SAPR) team's role in the response.

"The SAPR team's role in response is victim/survivor-centric," said Wright. "Our primary focus is assisting victim/survivors as they begin to heal from the crime of sexual assault. We are just one part of the organization's holistic team working to prevent sexual violence and to provide comprehensive response and support to those who report they've been sexually assaulted."

Wright added that confidentiality and empowerment are key elements of support to victim/survivors in the response process. Additionally, service members and dependents over age 18 may seek SAPR team assistance and support, regardless of the status (military or civilian) of the victim/survivor or reported offender at the time of the assault.

Maj. Nehemiah Nattress is the provost marshal for the Maine Army National Guard. In the active Army, the provost marshal is the senior law enforcement official at a post or base. While his duties and authority are somewhat different given that the National Guard falls under Title 32, and that soldiers are scattered around the state at various armories versus one large base, Nattress does liaise with civilian law enforcement when necessary.

"As the judge advocate also discusses, in most cases, civilian law enforcement is the investigating authority on sexual assaults," said Nattress, a former law enforcement officer himself. "I want soldiers to feel comfortable starting a dialogue with those agencies if they need to. I talk to them about the interview process with a police officer, so they know what to expect and the kinds of questions that will be asked so they can be more comfortable with the process."

"Col. King and the 120th's recent unit visits are just one example of how we're taking a proactive approach to this issue," said Col. Blair Tinkham, chief of staff for the Maine Army National Guard. "It is critical that we maintain a culture of trust where our members are comfortable coming forward, regardless of the issue."

"Our people are our most valuable resource, and we want soldiers and airmen to know that our response to their concerns will be quickly addressed," said Maj. Gen. Douglas Farnham, Maine's adjutant general. "This is not something we can let up on. We must continue to be diligent and look after one another. Our ability to successfully maintain the trust of both our soldiers and airmen, and the public depends on it. But even more importantly, it's simply the right thing to do."

"It all starts at your level and we cannot affect change without you," Rancourt concluded in his final remarks to the soldiers of the 152nd. "Please help us make your unit and the Maine National Guard a better place."

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001: Col. Aaron King discusses sexual assault prevention and response with soldiers from the 152nd Support Maintenance Company May 2, 2021, at Camp Keyes in Augusta.

002: Col. Aaron King discusses sexual assault prevention and response with soldiers from the 152nd Support Maintenance Company May 2, 2021, at Camp Keyes in Augusta.

003: Chief Warrant Officer 4 Kartika Wright addresses soldiers of the 152nd Support Maintenance Company and discusses her role as the sexual assault response coordinator (SARC), May 2, 2021.

004: Maj. Nehemiah Nattress discusses his role as the provost marshal and supporting the sexual assault prevention and response team (SAPR) with soldiers from the 152nd Support Maintenance Company May 2, 2021, at Camp Keyes in Augusta.

005: Maj. Katie Trost discusses her role as the staff judge advocate with soldiers of the 152nd Support Maintenance Company May 2, 2021, at Camp Keyes in Augusta.

006: Col. Aaron King discusses sexual assault prevention and response with soldiers from the 152nd Support Maintenance Company May 2, 2021, at Camp Keyes in Augusta.

Maine National Guard photos by Sgt. Darin Douin / Released

Posted Wednesday June 02, 2021 at 04:09 pm by Maine National Guard
Last Updated Wednesday June 02, 2021 at 10:56 pm