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.” 

This year, the Army’s theme, “Prevention Starts with You,” focuses on the idea of upholding what it means to be a member of an Army team. With the help of the Army Sexual Harassment/Assault Response and Prevention Program, Soldiers and leaders across the installation can work together to prevent and bring awareness to sexual assault, harassment and associated retaliation.

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.

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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.