At a time when the Army is reckoning with the findings of the Fort Hood report, one officer is sharing his own story of how leadership, both good and bad, can make all the difference for Soldiers. “I wanted to take my life.”

April is Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month and one of the themes this year is “Building Safe Online Spaces Together.” 

The U.S. Military Academy Sexual Harassment/Assault Prevention (SHARP) program hosted the kickoff event of Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month (SAAPM) featuring spoken word poet, Rashan Legard, on April 2 at Eisenhower Hall Theatre.

Legard, who is a motivational speaker, veteran, storyteller, poet and a credentialed survivor advocate, provided a powerful message of his experience as a sexual assault survivor to the entire USMA Corps of Cadets. The message, which included his gift of poetry and storytelling, is about empowering others to have the strength to help change the culture for survivors.

​​

The APG Poetry Slam on Thursday, June 15 took place at the Myer Auditorium and virtually on MS Teams. This event involves a poetry competition where poets present their original work, which pre-selected audience members then judge. The theme of this slam revolves around Sexual Harassment and/or Sexual Assault, addressing topics like prevention, culture change, intervention, and awareness. It welcomes all poets, including beginners, and features guest speakers Obbie West, Dr. Vanessa Guyton, and Rashan Legard.

On Friday, September 22nd, Vermilion High School had a speaker named Rashan Legard give a speech to the male students on the power of resilience. Legard is an ex-military member, sexual assault survivor, and near-high school dropout. He had behavioral issues in grade school, leading him to get a 1.4 GPA and only a 15 on his ACT. His teachers and peers teased him for years because of this. He delivered his message of what resilience meant to him, and how students can apply it to their own lives.

Each April, Carlisle Barracks observes Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month. This time serves as a poignant reminder of the issue of sexual violence and the need for action to prevent it.

​

Carlisle Barracks and the Pennsylvania National Guard co-hosted a DoD Sexual Assault and Prevention Summit April 5 at the Army Heritage and Education Center to bring together military and civilian communities and agencies for sexual assault awareness and prevention.

Throughout the month of April, the SAPR team will have a diverse range of events all over the Commonwealth! From in-person engagements and competitions, to virtual scavenger hunts. The SAPR team will be promoting awareness of sexual assault and emphasizing prevention tactics through the theme of “Change through Unity– Power. Protect. Prevent.” There will be featured guest speakers such as Mr. Rashan Legard, who will share their expertise on various topics.

The Sexual Assault Prevention and Response team will host a guest speaker event with Rashan Legard Speaks LLC on April 12 from 1:30 to 3 p.m. at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force’s Carney Auditorium. Legard’s talk is titled, “From Service to Survival: Overcoming Adversity and Influencing Organizational Culture as Future Leaders,” which aims to inspire individuals and organizations through resiliency training and the power of spoken words. As part of Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month, SAPR leaders will host numerous events for the base community throughout April in line with the Department of Defense theme, “STEP FORWARD. Prevent. Report. Advocate.” (U.S. Air Force graphic by Wilbur Wood)

LORAIN, Ohio (WOIO) - Former U.S. Army Officer Rashan Legard said after he was sexually assaulted by one of his superiors, he came very close to taking his own life.

“It was the journey after all that once I told to my leadership this happened that’s when they broke me down to a path to where I wanted to commit suicide,” Legard explained. “I went to PTSD, I had depression.”

​

The Lorain native shared his story for the first time in a three-part series with19 News investigator Kelly Kennedy.

​

“You wouldn’t think it would be able to happen to a man,” Legard said. “It would be more to a woman, and I feel me being the African American and 6′3, why’s he making this up? He is making it a bigger deal than it’s supposed to be, no! It needs to be said because this happens all the time to soldiers at every branch.”