Page 6 - March ARB Beacon 10-30-15

6 October 30, 2015
Change in Policy: AF extends sexual assault
prevention and response services to civilians
from Air Force News Service
VWDIIUHSRUWV$LU)RUFH5HVHUYH&RPPDQG ception of legal and non-emergency medical services,
In a significant change in policy, the Air Force an-
nounced Aug. 24 that, effective immediately, civilian
employees -- both appropriated and non-appropriated
-- who are victims of sexual assault are now allowed to
file restricted and unrestricted reports with their instal- could only file unrestricted reports.
lation’s sexual assault response coordinator.
The policy allows SARCs and sexual assault pre-
vention and response victim advocates to assist Air
Force civilians who report sexual assaults by provid-
ing crisis intervention and advocacy services 24 hours
a day, seven days a week.
According to the new policy, civilian employees
may utilize SARC or victim advocate services and
file a report, even if the incident occurred before the
change went into effect.
“Our civilian Airmen are valuable members of our
team, and we’re going to support them,” said Secretary
of the Air Force Deborah Lee James. “While this is a
huge win for the Air Force and our civilian force, we
will continue to work at all levels to prevent sexual
assault.”
The Department of Defense recently signed an ex-
ception to policy, granting the Air Force the authority
to extend SAPR services. Air Force civilian employ-
ees now receive the same services as those who were
November: National American Indian Heritage Month 2015
Prepared by Dawn W. Smith
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National American Indian and Alaska Native Her-
itage Month celebrates and recognizes the accom-
plishments of the original inhabitants, explorers, and
settlers of the United States.
This presentation reviews the historical milestones
that led to the establishment of National American
Indian Heritage Month, covers various aspects of
American Indian and Alaska Native life, and honors
the contributions of our Native Service Members.
The Society of American Indian Government Em-
ployees has chosen this year’s theme, Growing Native
Leaders: Enhancing Our Seven Generations.
At the turn of the century, efforts began to implement
a day of recognition for American Indians’contributions
to America. One of the early proponents of an American
Indian Day was Dr. Arthur C. Parker, a Seneca Indian.
In the early 1900s, he persuaded the Boy Scouts of
America to set aside a day to honor the first Americans.
In 1914, Red Fox James, a Blackfeet Indian, rode
on horseback from state to state, seeking support for
the designation of a day to honor American Indians.
In 1914, Red Fox James, a Blackfeet Indian, rode on
horseback from state to state, seeking support for the
designation of a day to honor American Indians.
In 1915, the Congress of the American Indian
Association approved a formal plan to celebrate
American Indian Day. Reverend Sherman Coolidge,
an Arapaho tribal member, asked the country to for-
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Prior to this exception, only civilian employees at FRRUGLQDWRU
overseas locations and their dependents 18 years old
or older were eligible to use SARC services, and they ployees, the Air Force changed its eligibility require-
ments to allow Air Force Reserve and Air National
Guard members in Title 10 status who are sexually
SARCs and SAPR victim advocates will assist in assaulted while performing active service or inactive
contacting the appropriate law enforcement agency for duty training to receive full SAPR support services.
Air Force civilians who file unrestricted reports to en- Reserve members, including air reserve technicians,
sure reports are properly investigated and prosecuted. who report a sexual assault that occurred prior to or
They will also be able to help civilians identify and while not performing active service or inactive duty
contact additional off-base support organizations as training are eligible to receive limited SAPR support
needed. services. Local laws and regulations apply to ANG
members in Title 32 status.
“Our SARCs and victim advocates provide invalu-
able support and assistance to our uniformed Airmen
who have suffered from this horrible crime,” said Maj.
Gen. Gina Grosso, the Air Force SAPR director. “We
knew we could do more to help our civilian Airmen, so
we sought an exception to policy to allow the Air Force
to extend the same care and support to civilian victims
as we do to our military Airmen and their families.”
Air Force civilians stationed on sister service instal-
lations will have to contact the closest Air Force SAPR
office to make a report. To identify the closest Air
Force SAPR office, civilians can go online to www.
safehelpline.org and enter their ZIP code.
Prior to the change in policy regarding civilian em-
mally set aside a day of recognition.
In 1924, Congress enacted the Indian Citizen-
ship Act, but it took no action to establish a National
American Indian Day.
It wasn’t until 1986 that Congress passed a procla-
mation authorizing American Indian Week. In 1990,
the month of November was designated as National
American Indian Heritage Month. The title has since
expanded to celebrate Alaska Natives. Currently,
there are 566 federally recognized American Indian
and Alaska Native tribes and more than 100 state-
recognized tribes across the United States.
Native Alaskan tribes belonging to five geographic
areas, are organized under 13 Alaska Native Regional
Corporations, speak 11 different languages and 22
different dialects. They also have 11 distinct cultures.
Federally recognized tribes retain certain inher-
ent rights of self-government (i.e., tribal sovereignty)
and are entitled to receive certain federal benefits,
services, and protections because of their relation-
ship with the United States.
Sovereignty is the right of a nation or group of
people to be self-governing and is the most funda-
mental concept defining the relationship between the
government of the United States and governments of
American Indian tribes.
American Indians and Alaska Natives are U.S.
citizens and citizens of their tribes. They are sub-
ject to federal laws, but they are not always sub-
ject to state laws.