Soldiers with units associated with the 181st Multi-Functional Training Brigade of Fort McCoy led a ruck march around Sparta, Wis., on April 28 in observance of Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month.

According to Sgt. 1st Class Shawn Settles with the 181st, who serves as the brigade’s sexual assault response coordinator, they donated items to the organization Brighter Tomorrows — a community-based victim advocacy program that serves survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault of Monroe County, Wis.

Dozens of Soldiers participated in the event on the morning of April 28, and they rucked several miles. Soldiers with Fort McCoy Garrison and other units also participated. The event was based out of Memorial Park in Sparta.

According to a statement from 181st MFTB Public Affairs, the 181st held the event in order “to be doing its part to raise awareness about the issues of sexual violence and the needed care of its survivors.”

The Army SHARP Program at https://www.armyresilience.army.mil/SAAPM-2023/index.html discussed the 2023 theme for Sexual Harassment and Assault Prevention and Awareness Month.

“Nationwide, April is recognized as Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month,” the website states. “This year the Army’s theme for its campaign is ‘Intervene We Are a Team: There is US in TrUSt. Can They Trust in You?’ The 2023 SAAPM campaign highlights the importance of building a culture of trust through intervention and prevent unwanted sexual behavior. We should all play an active role in keeping one another safe by creating a culture of trust and stepping up when we witness distressing or inappropriate behavior.”

At Fort McCoy, a proclamation was signed by installation leaders recognizing April as Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month. Additionally, in addition to the ruck march, other events and information was shared about the importance of preventing sexual assault and sexual harassment throughout the month.

Additionally, from an Army fact sheet shared during Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month, it stated that there are resources available to help Soldiers, their families, and their communities stay safe. This includes the Department of Defense (DOD) Safe Helpline.

“Our DOD Safe Helpline services are anonymous and confidential, and are tailored to support members of the DOD community affected by sexual harassment and sexual assault,” the fact sheet states.

The fact sheet urges people to check out DOD Safe Helpline 101 at https://safehelpline.org/101 to learn more about the helpline.

“DOD Safe Helpline 101 provides a comprehensive overview of DOD Safe Helpline, including services offered and information about our secure technology platform,” the fact sheet states. “DOD Self Helpline 101 also offers steps to protect the privacy and confidentiality of users. In addition, this program describes how DOD Safe Helpline services expand and support sexual assault response coordinators in their efforts to meet the needs of sexual assault survivors on their installations.”

Learn more about the Army Sexual Harassment/Assault Response & Prevention Program at https://www.armyresilience.army.mil/SAAPM-2023/index.html.

Learn more about Fort McCoy online at https://home.army.mil/mccoy, on the Defense Visual Information Distribution System at https://www.dvidshub.net/fmpao, on Facebook by searching “ftmccoy,” and on Twitter by searching “usagmccoy.”

Also try downloading the Digital Garrison app to your smartphone and set “Fort McCoy” or another installation as your preferred base.

(Article prepared by the Fort McCoy Public Affairs Office and the 181st Multi-Functional Public Affairs Office.)