Sexual Assault offenders must be held accountable Published Dec. 13, 2013 By Col. Corey J. Martin 60th Air Mobility Wing Commander TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- At Travis and across the Air Force, we value every member of the team. I have the utmost respect for the service and dedication that each of you have demonstrated. As such, it breaks my heart to learn of even one situation in which Airmen are disrespecting or assaulting one another. It is unacceptable for any member of the Air Force to be involved in harassment, unprofessional relationships or sexually related crimes. To that end, you are probably aware of the significant emphasis that has been placed upon the Sexual Assault Prevention and Response program and for good reason. In fiscal year 2012, Department of Defense had 3,374 reports of sexual assault involving a military member as the victim or subject. That same year, it is estimated that sexual assaults to 26,000 members went unreported. Then in 2013, sexual assault complaints in our military increased by an unprecedented 46 percent. While it is an extremely small percentage of our Airmen who commit sexually related crimes, the impacts are far reaching. As members of the military who serve in combat together, we must have complete trust in our brothers and sisters in arms. Those who would commit sexual assault breach this trust and we have no place for that in our service. The foundation of the Air Force are our core values of integrity, service and excellence. We build upon that foundation by reinforcing and fostering a culture of dignity and respect, an environment that identifies perpetrators and holds them accountable and an environment where victims feel empowered to come forward to report this crime. Make no mistake about it. We're serious about eliminating this unacceptable conduct from within our Air Force family. Travis Airmen who have committed a sexually related offense have been court-martialed and administratively discharged. These are the consequences that Airman may face if they commit a sexually related offense. Sexually related crimes simply will not be tolerated. In a continued effort to hold sexual assault offenders accountable and to provide transparency in the handling of such cases, our Air Force now publishes sexual assault convictions online at http://www.afjag.af.mil/sexualassaultprosecution/index.asp. In reviewing convictions from the past three years, there are three common threads in a majority of cases. They include the offender's lack of respect for the victim, the absence of consent and, frequently, the use of alcohol. In many of the cases, the victims were co-workers, former friends or people who trusted their assailant. I encourage each of you to visit the Sexual Assault Prosecutions website and review the facts of the cases. Use this information to empower and educate yourself. Share what you learn about the cases and the consequences with your fellow Airmen. As a reminder, the intent of our SAPR program is to eliminate incidents of sexual assault. In working toward this goal, our program is here to provide awareness and prevention training, education, victim advocacy, response, reporting and accountability. Our SAPR staff is available 24/7 and can be reached at 424-7272. Lastly, I ask that each of you be a good wingman: Ready to intervene when the situation calls for it and encourage fellow Airmen to treat others with respect. A few words of intervention can forever positively change the lives of Airmen around you.