WC Missouri News

The Whiteman Air Force Base Sexual Assault Prevention and Response team has made a significant advancement by becoming the first in Air Force Global Strike Command to fully staff their program with full-time victim advocates. This move aims to better support survivors of military sexual violence by connecting them to resources that can assist them after experiencing a sexual assault.

Scott Isom, 509th BW SAPR sexual assault response coordinator, highlighted the challenges of having part-time volunteers as victim advocates, stating, “It was sort of like an additional duty for the part-time volunteers. The volunteers still had to go deploy, go on temporary assignments, or might have needed to change shifts. It could throw a wrench in our 24-hour on-call roster and make it more difficult to help those in crisis.”

In response to these challenges, the U.S. Air Force mandated that all installations transition to permanent, full-time victim advocates by September 31, 2024. Katie Glasgow, 509th Bomb Wing SAPR victim advocate, emphasized the benefits of this change, stating, “This is my full-time job. I get to put all my energy into connecting with agencies on and off base and helping victims that are going through a crisis. This was harder with the part-time program.”

The move to full-time victim advocates at Whiteman AFB is a crucial step in enhancing support for victims of sexual assault in the military. Glasgow noted that the full-time status allows victim advocates to be more accessible to victims and to receive additional training through formal education and experiences outside the Air Force.

According to the Department of Defense’s official SAPR website, sexual assault is the most underreported crime in the military, underscoring the importance of initiatives like the one implemented at Whiteman AFB. Victims of sexual assault can reach the Whiteman AFB 24-hour SAPR hotline at (660) 687-7272, which provides access to a wide range of resources. For more information on reporting options and support services, individuals can visit https://sapr.mil/.