Deployed Keesler captain combats sexual assault Published April 29, 2010 By Tech. Sgt. Lindsey Maurice 386th air Expeditionary Wing SOUTHWEST ASIA -- An unfortunate reality in society is the act of sexual assault, a crime that military members can just as easily fall prey to. Enter Capt. Mollie Robinson, 386th Air Expeditionary Wing sexual assault response coordinator. Deployed from Keesler, it's Captain Robinson's job to educate and train Airmen here in sexual assault prevention as well as assist victims of this crime. "Sexual assault affects everyone, not just the victim," said Captain Robinson. "This year's Sexual Assault Awareness Month theme is 'Hurts one, affects all', and I feel it describes how sexual assault impacts our Air Force. "If even one person is unable to do their job because they have been assaulted, then the overall mission is degraded in some way. Having a SARC available, gives Airmen an ally in the event a sexual assault occurs, giving them the same options as are available at their home station. The program also acts as a constant reminder for everyone to make smart and responsible decisions." Captain Robinson is the base's focal point for all sexual assault prevention education, training and response. "Depending on what a victim's needs are, I coordinate with the other helping agencies to meet those needs, all the while maintaining the victim's privacy to the greatest extent possible," she said. "Here, we are fortunate to have a safe and mostly sexual assault-free deployment location." The 4½-year Air Force veteran added; however, that even one sexual assault case is one too many. "Sexual assault is never the victim's fault," she said. "Anyone has the right to say 'no' at anytime, regardless of their relationship with the other person. If we all respect each other, each other's boundaries and are good wingmen, then we can eliminate sexual assault in the Air Force and in society and eliminate the need for this job." The SARC said one of the biggest challenges she faces with her job is education. "Changing societal behavior, of any type, is always challenging," she said. "For my job, really getting our young Airmen to understand what constitutes sexual assault, what consent is, who can give it, and the importance of making responsible decisions is extremely difficult. Another challenge is getting those who witness bad behavior to step up and take action. The new sexual assault prevention response training, bystander intervention, is aimed precisely at that." Captain Robinson, Keesler's deputy SARC, said it takes certain qualities in order to be good at her job. "You have to be someone people feel comfortable talking to and be able to compartmentalize," she said. "The first part is self explanatory, but the second might not be something most people think about. With this type of job, you hear a lot of bad and you can't let everything get to you, although sometimes it's unavoidable." To help keep her mind clear and her stress level down, the captain said she tries to stay active both physically and socially. "If I'm not in my office, you can find me at the gym, swimming laps at the pool, singing with my group 'ROCKapella' or singing with the church choir," she said. "I'm also the president of the company grade officer council and I try to help out wherever I can." Now on her second deployment, Captain Robinson said she has enjoyed her time downrange, even with the sacrifices of being away from friends and family and without many of the "Western" conveniences she's used to. "I love deploying," she said, "it's why I'm in the military. Being a force support officer, I'm not always going to feel like I'm directly affecting the overall mission, so the closer I can get to the fight, the better."