RAF Mildenhall hosts Sexual Assault Senior Leader Summit

RAF MILDENHALL, England -- Senior leaders from RAFs Mildenhall, Lakenheath and Alconbury gathered together for the first-ever United Kingdom U.S. Air Force Sexual Assault Senior Leader Summit at the Galaxy Club here April 5.

"Every year, we [our bases] send the vice commander to the Senior Leader Sexual Assault Summit in Washington, D.C.," said Col. Michael Winters, 100th Air Refueling Wing vice commander. "We [the U.K. vice commanders] thought it would be great to re-create and take the best of the last two years from the summit in Washington, D.C. and bring it here."

The seminar included a presentation on the profile of a sexual predator and a video about bystander intervention.

"Sexual predators identify vulnerability and then exploit it," said Dr. David Lisak, associate professor of clinical psychology, University of Massachusetts, Boston. "It's as simple as that."

Dr. Lisak explained to the audience that sexual predators look for vulnerability in the young, the emotionally unstable, the heavy drinker or in someone who looks like they had a bad week. They also prey on new Airmen to the installation, he added.

Dr. Lisak also shared some key facts about sexual predators with the leaders including that they are very few in numbers; 85 percent of rapes are non-stranger, meaning that the victim knew the assailant; most sexual predators are serial offenders, narcissistic and manipulative.

"Preventing sexual assault is everybody's responsibility, because what hurts one, hurts us all," said then Maj. Gen. Michael Basla, Air Force Space Command vice commander, in a video shown about bystander intervention.

Bystander intervention is taught to Airmen to help them assess when and how to intervene in questionable, intimidating or explicitly dangerous situations.

The video shared some statics from 2009:

95 percent of sexual assault victims in the Air Force were female.
8 percent were in grades E1 to E4.
53 percent were Service member-on-Service member.
50 percent of sexual assaults occurred on base.
51 percent occurred between midnight and 6 a.m.
61 percent of victims were suspected of drinking and 67 percent of perpetrators were documented as drinking.
In addition to the earlier briefings leaders received, they also received a briefing about the "Green Dot" program which aims to halt the alarming growth of these statics.

"It's happening," said Kimberly Dickman, 100th ARW sexual assault response coordinator. "It's spreading. It's here; the red dots are here, in our Air Force."

In the green dot program, a red dot represents people who have the intention or the potential to harm someone by either their actions or behavior.

"But, there is a cure," Mrs. Dickman said. "It's the green dots. Leaders and other Airmen are the green dots. The green dot signals a single moment in time that can be used to stop acts of interpersonal violence, support a victim or change society."

As the seminar concluded, leaders left with a better understanding of all aspects sexual assault.

"I thought the seminar was very comprehensive," said Senior Master Sgt. Sean McKinney, 48th Medical Group first sergeant. "Dr. Lisak shed a different perspective on the problem we have in the Air Force and the military in general. I think to have an outsider look at it from a professional doctor's point of view was really enlightening."

The base leaders will now take what they've learned and spread the knowledge around during Sexual Assault Awareness Month, April.