The 35th Infantry Division hosted the National Guard Bureau Sexual Harassment/Assault Response and Prevention Program Academy Foundation at the Fort Leavenworth armory June 6 - 17. Attendees at the 80-hour course were a mixture of National Guard Soldiers from Kansas and other states, including Missouri, New York, Rhode Island and Tennessee.

“I was present to clarify duties and standard operating procedures as far as how the National Guard implemented the program,” said Dylan Santos, victim advocate coordinator for the Kansas National Guard. “I saw a lot of engagement with the course material, Soldiers were asking all the right questions and received great feedback from the instructors for these Soldiers to incorporate at their respective units.”

“Many people come to our course with experiences,” said Marvin Lockett II, course instructor. “These experiences are at times are good/bad depending on the person. The goal of the class is not only to educate the Guardsmen on Sexual Harassment Assault Response Prevention Program, but we also engage those biases created by the experiences which have occurred in their walks of life.”

“The course was engaging and promoted a collaborative effort with other attendees,” said 1st Lt. Nash Sewtana, Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 2nd Battalion, 130th Field Artillery. “I felt safe to ask difficult questions and the instructors created an environment necessary for critical thinking.”

Maj. Gen. David Weishaar, the adjutant general, stopped by to discuss his vision for the SHARP program and what advocates can expect to change pending future guidance. Weishaar believes that the SHARP program is critical to the readiness of the force.