Sexual Assault Prevention training provided at Dover AFB

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman James Bolinger
  • 436th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. --  Sexual assault is defined as, "intentional sexual contact, characterized by use of force, physical threat or abuse of authority or when the victim does not or cannot consent," by the DoD. 

According to the DoD sexual assault Web site, www.sapr.mil, sexual assault includes: rape, non-consensual sodomy, indecent assault or attempts to commit these acts. 

Anne Munch, a deputy district attorney for the Jefferson County District Attorney office in Golden, Colo., and part-time consultant, taught a one-day course to members from Dover Air Force Base and various other community agencies about the dynamics of sexual assault investigations and prosecutions Sept. 21 at the Air Mobility Command Museum. 

"I have a passion for sexual assault victims and cases," said Ms. Munch. "The class I teach focuses on offenders and how they operate so they can be held accountable." 

Rather than concentrating on victims, Ms. Munch's course explains how to put sexual predators in jail. 

She used interactive examples along with slide shows to emphasize points to the class.
"Students listen and watch 911 videos and audio recordings," she said. "We also work through a case scenario at the end of class to see what everyone learned." 

Ms. Munch, who has given similar classes at several military installations and law enforcement agencies, said the Air Force is on the right track 

"The Air Force is doing a great job responding to victims," said Ms. Munch. "They have made more changes in two years than many civilian companies have made in a decade." 

The training was organized by Dover's Sexual Assault Response Coordinator, or SARC, and was attended by 436th Security Forces Squadron members; staff judge advocates from Bolling and Dover Air Force Bases; the Kent General Hospital sexual assault nurse examiner; agents from Dover's tenant Office of Special Investigations; representatives from the Military Equal Opportunity and Equal Employment Opportunity offices; members from Contact Delaware, a local rape crisis center; and SARC program volunteers. 

For more information about sexual assault in the Air Force or to confidentially report a sexual assault, contact Dover's SARC office at 677-4537 or visit the DoD sexual assault Web site listed at the beginning of this story.