Hometown Military News: March 18, 2016:

Illinois Adjutant General speaks on sexual assault, signs agreements with rape crisis centers

SPRINGFIELD – The Adjutant General of the Illinois National Guard, Maj. Gen. Richard Hayes Jr., spoke to members of the Illinois Coalition Against Sexual Assault (ICASA), and signed a memorandum of understanding with the local crisis center, during a workshop March 17 at the Westminster Presbyterian Church, in Springfield.

Nearly 50 ICASA members, from crisis centers across Illinois, attended the event where Hayes discussed sexual assaults in the Illinois National Guard and the combined efforts to combat it. Hayes and crisis center directors signed memorandums of understanding to establish a mutual relationship that benefits service members who are victims of sexual assault.

“Preventing sexual assault and sexual harassment, and responding to the needs of the victims, is a significant challenge to our organization,” Hayes said to the ICASA attendees. “The Illinois National Guard’s relationship with your organization is critical to our effort to create a culture that is free of sexual harassment and ends sexual assaults within our ranks.”

The memorandum contains provisions for both the Illinois National Guard and the ICASA members. For instance, ICASA employees and volunteers will participate in military competency training or other joint training with National Guard sexual assault response personnel. Both organizations also agreed to share resources, information and services to help provide more options in the effective care and support to service member victims, all the while ensuring victims’ privacy remains intact.

“This mutual agreement expresses the convergence of will between both parties, indicating the common line of actions when servicing military members in crisis,” Sgt. Maj. Diane Rogers, the Illinois National Guard State Sexual Assault Response Coordinator (SARC), said.

Rogers said this agreement also promotes communication between the organizations to better assess and support victims’ needs.

Over the past decade, the Illinois National Guard has given greater emphasis and training in sexual assault prevention and response. Since 2005, the Illinois National Guard has investigated 97 sexual assault cases. At present, there are 17 cases being investigated, four of which were initiated in 2016. The reported cases not only include service member against service member, but also civilians as victims and perpetrators.

Despite these statistics, Hayes said the culture is changing and the numbers are proof that the education and awareness programs are working.

“Our statistics show more service members are coming forward to report incidents each year,” Hayes said. “We do not believe more reports is because of more incidents. Instead, these numbers
indicate a growing trust in our efforts to care for the victims and punish those who would commit such acts.”

Hayes said the ultimate goal is to eliminate sexual violence entirely, but in the meantime, it is the responsibility and top priority of the Illinois National Guard and ICASA to ensure all available resources are available to aid in a victim’s recovery.

Service members who are victims of sexual assault may get information or services by calling or visiting the listed resources:

• Illinois Coalition Against Sexual Assault: 217-753-4117 or www.icasa.org
• Illinois National Guard 24/7 SARC: 217-299-9407 or 217-299-8922 or www.il.ngb.army.mil.
• Department of Defense Safe Helpline: 877-995-5247 or www.SafeHelpline.org

Bloomington native participates in NROTC ship selection draft

By Navy Office of Community Outreach

MILLINGTON, Tenn. – Navy Midshipman Jackson Moore from Bloomington participated in the Navy Reserve Officer Training Corps (NROTC) ship selection draft as a future member of the U.S. Navy’s Surface Warfare Officer (SWO) community.

More than 280 midshipmen at 70 Navy Reserve Officer Training Corps (NROTC) units around the country have selected to serve in the Navy as surface warfare officers. Each selecting midshipman is ranked according to his or her grade point average, aptitude scores, and physical fitness.

“Our NROTC unit has a long history in Madison dating back to WWII,” said Moore. “We have lab once a week and PT at least once a week as well.”

According to their rankings, each midshipman provided their preference of ship or homeport to the junior officer detailer at the Navy Personnel Command in Millington, Tennessee. If these preferences were available, they were assigned as requested.

“It’s great that the Navy is rewarding our performance over the past few years by allowing those who have excelled to choose their ships first,” said Moore.

Moore, a 2011 Normal Community High School graduate, has selected to serve aboard the USS Decatur (DDG 73). He is majoring in mathematics while attending the University of Wisconsin, Madison. Upon graduation, Moore will receive a commission as a Navy Ensign and report aboard Decatur as a surface warfare officer.

Homeported in San Diego, California, Decatur is an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer in the United States Navy. Destroyers are warships that provide multi-mission offensive and defensive capabilities. Destroyers can operate independently or as part of carrier strike groups, surface action groups, amphibious ready groups, and underway replenishment groups.

The midshipmen’s selection of their ship is not only a milestone for them but also an important day for the ships in the fleet. Not only do the midshipmen choose where they are going to start their Naval career, but the ship they choose will also gain a motivated, eager, young officer to help lead and improve an already great team.

“This is an exciting day,” said Rear Adm. Stephen C. Evans, commander, Naval Service Training Command (NSTC), which oversees the NROTC program. “We have some of the finest talent in our nation and we have the opportunity to marry them up with some of our finest teams in our fleet.”

Evans also told the midshipmen that should be excited, because they have a great future ahead of them on some of the Navy’s best platforms around the world.

While NROTC units are spread out across the country and vary in size, they all teach midshipmen the values, standards, abilities and responsibility that it takes to become a Navy officers and lead this nation’s sons and daughters in protecting freedom on the seven seas.

“NROTC has helped me learn to be a public figure in this community and that leaders have to make hard and sometimes unpopular decisions,” said Moore.

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