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R-E-S-P-E-C-T find out what it means to the Warriors of the North

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Luis Loza Gutierrez
  • 319th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
GRAND FORKS AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. --  The song "Respect," became a hit for rhythm & blues singer Aretha Franklin in 1967, and just as the song became a landmark for the feminist movement in 1960's, it might as well become the theme song for a another movement taking shape here thanks to the efforts of the Sexual Assault Prevention and Response team.

"With the New Year fast approaching, it's estimated that about 45 percent of Americans will make some sort of New Year's resolution," said Capt. Shielah Flinders, 319th Air Base Wing Sexual Assault Response Coordinator. "Popular resolutions are often health or finance related, but we hoping to encourage as many members of our community as possible to resolve to make 2015 the Year of Respect."

The goal of the campaign is for people to make a renewed commitment to treating themselves and others with respect.

"That means maintaining healthy, appropriate and respectful relationships 24 hours a day, seven days a week," elaborated Flinders.

"You and I can be respectful individuals but it's when we combine our individual efforts toward a common goal, that we can then achieve a positive cultural change that insists all people are treated with dignity, fairness and respect," said Sue Grollimund, 319th ABW Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Program assistant. "That cultural change will then help us to stomp out sexual assault in our community." 

From December 15 through the 19th, the SAPR office took its "Resolution: Respect" campaign out to various base facilities.

As a gesture of solidarity and unity, each person was invited to put their John Hancock on the official campaign banner.  In all the duo of Flinders and Grollimund collected a total of 410 signatures in 16 hours over the course of five days.

According to Flinders, the results from the recently-released SAPR Progress Report to the President of the United States show that the Air Force has made progress in sexual assault prevention and response.  An anonymous survey showed that the prevalence of unwanted sexual contact decreased since fiscal year 2012, and that reporting increased. 

"Though we've made some headway, there is still work to do," said Flinders. "And each one of us, from the wing commander to the newest airman basic, has a role to play in appropriately responding and preventing sexual assault.  We are all empowered to intervene when we witness something inappropriate.  We can all do our part to ensure survivors of sexual assault are treated with dignity and are not subjected to social or professional retaliation."

Both Flinders and Grollimund said to those willing to sign the banner that showing each other respect is an integral piece of the Air Force Core Values and that each person (Airman or civilian) is responsible for fostering a culture and climate that ensure people are treated with dignity, fairness and respect.  

With that sentiment in mind it would be hard not to see what R-E-S-P-E-C-T means the Warriors of the North.