A few months ago I attended the Army’s new course on Sexual Harassment and Assault Response and prevention (SHARP).  I had spent a few years as a unit victim advocate for sexual assault and I understood the importance of this new program, so I volunteered for the training and became the Battalion Senior SHARP specialist.

This week units across the Army will begin the first approved iteration of training on this program.  Hopefully, most units will have a trained SHARP specialist provide the training. There are important differences between this program and past programs, so please focus on those changes as you receive the training in your units.

Some key notes to take away include:

-This program is focused on identifying problems at the earliest level (sexual innuendo and harassment) and dealing with that problem head-on before it evolves into sexual assault.

-SHARP focuses on the need for bystanders to Intervene, Act and Motivate (I. AM. STRONG). Soldiers are expected to change the norm and take action early to combat the enemy within our ranks.

-Rather than focus on victims reactively, we must focus on potential offenders early - in the harassment stage - proactively. NO MORE INNOCENT BYSTANDERS! We are a profession of Arms and we need to police each other up!

-The training also details reporting options that are important for leaders and victims to understand. The options are different for harassment and assault.

These are just a few changes to look out for. The training, if done correctly, runs about three hours. It is imperative that Soldiers DO NOT treat this training lightly! Interaction is a must! All Soldiers have a responsibility under this program and need to understand it thoroughly.  This is not just another 350-1 training requirement, but rather a complete change in Army culture and expectations.

Feel free to use this thread to get clarification or ask questions once you’ve had the training in your unit.

-1SG Hynes-