Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) along with Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R-NH) have introduced the Combatting Military Sexual Assault Act which would expand a successful Air Force program to all service branches of the military. The aim of the act is to provide sexual assault victims with special victims’ counsel, a trained and certified military lawyer to assist in the victim throughout the process.

Public Affairs Officer for Naval Air Station Whidbey Island Mike Welding said the Navy already has some programs in place to combat sexual assault. NAS Whidbey Island in particular has found a sexual assault prevention champion in Kathleen Schofield, the base’s sexual assault response coordinator (SARC) for the last three years. In fact, Schofield won national honors this past April when the Department of Defense named her the Navy Exceptional SARC of the Year.

A SARC serves as the single point of contact for integrating and coordinating sexual assault victim care, from the initial report of sexual assault through disposition and resolution of issues related to the victim’s health and well-being, Welding said.

The SARC is responsible for ensuring a victim support system is in place that provides around-the-clock sexual assault response capabilities for all victims within their designated area of responsibility. The base has a volunteer network of sexual assault advocates and recently hired two SAPR victim advocates from that group of volunteers. All of the volunteers have undergone 40 hours of core training needed to assist sexual assault victims.

Ayotte stressed the need to ensure that victims of sexual assault are able to report incidents without fear of retribution and urged the Joint Chiefs of Staff and General Martin Dempsey to provide special victims counsel to victims in all military services.

The Combatting Military Sexual Assault Act would:

• Provide victims of sexual assault with special victims counsel (SVC).
• Enhance the authority of the DOD’s Sexual Assault Prevention Program and Response Office.
• Refer cases to the general court martial or superior level when sexual assault charges are filed when there is a conflict of interest.
• Bar sexual contact between instructors and trainees during and within 30 days of basic training.
• Ensure response coordinators are available to members of the National Guard and Reserve.