81 TRW continues "Campaign to Zero"

Published May 13, 2014
By Airman 1st Class Stephan Coleman
81st Training Wing Public Affairs

KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. -- The 81st Training Wing is dedicated to finding unique ways to raise awareness about sexual assault and alcohol abuse issues.

The training group held its second "Campaign to Zero" event at the Vandenberg Community Center April 24, providing technical training Airmen with resources and scenarios which focused on positive bystander intervention.

"In the military, the way we test our mission readiness is to hold exercises," said Lt. Col. Jeffrey McLemore, 81st Training Group deputy commander. "That's exactly what this is: we had role-players at the Vandenburg all night to test the Airmen on what we've taught them in regards to sexual assault and alcohol abuse."

Volunteers acted out scenarios during the event to allow non-prior service Airmen the chance to recognize questionable situations and intervene accordingly.

"I was involved in several different scenarios," said Senior Airman Willie Moore, 81st Logistics Readiness Squadron and event volunteer. "I had to act with female role players on the dance floor, pretending to pull them away when they didn't want the attention."

The simulated scenarios included unwanted advances on the dance floor and at pool tables, as well as underage drinking and over-drinking situations in various areas of the community center.

"We were able to improve our approach from last year's experience," said Senior Master Sgt. Heather Moody, Mathies NCO Academy director of education and the lead in the wing's fight against alcohol-related incidents. "The Airmen responded more clearly in the April event compared to the October 2013 event."

Airmen who attended this year's exercise agreed that they had all the correct resources to deal with sexual assault and alcohol abuse issues, but that changes had to be made on a cultural level.

Mixing and matching sexual assault and alcohol-related scenarios was the key during the exercise as the transgressions go hand-in-hand, said McLemore.

"Alcohol is one of the major contributors to sexual assault," he added. "It's important for us to deal with the root of these problems and stop them from degrading the mission."

Stepping up to stop sexual assault situations proved an easier task than stopping alcohol related issues, said Moody.

Airmen had several insights for possible reasons, including the idea that alcohol consumption is glorified by American culture, that underage drinking or overdrinking is a victimless crime, and that individual don't want to "snitch."

"I think that people turn a blind eye to alcohol abuse because they don't want to ruin a friendship," said one student Airman from the 336th Training Squadron. "But they don't realize that if they tell someone they'd really be helping their friend in the long run."

Despite room for improvement, nonprior service students did much better this year, said Moody.

The feedback from the students is vital to the improvement of training for future Airmen. Sexual assault and alcohol-related incidents have victims, and leadership wants to work with Airmen to put an end to the issues, said McLemore.

"We're trying to get them the tools to make them feel comfortable doing the right thing," said McLemore.

The fight against sexual assault and alcohol abuse starts in initial training, but it doesn't stop there.

"It only gets more difficult from here," said Col. George Tombe, 81st Training Group commander, "We have to plant the seed early on because peer pressure never ends. We need to hold our peers accountable and shoot for 360 degrees of professionalism."

The "Campaign to Zero" is an ongoing drive led by the 81st TRW that aims to eliminate sexual assaults in the Air Force. The sexual assault prevention and response working group, comprised of advocates dedicated to stopping sexual assault and alcohol-related incidents, leads the initiative.

"Campaign to Zero" continues