DOD launches sexual assault prevention Web site

  • Published
  • By Jim Garamone
  • American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON (AFPN) --  Servicemembers who are victims of sexual assault or who need information on the Defense Department policy on preventing sexual assaults can find the information at a new Web site.

The site, launched by Joint Task Force Sexual Assault Prevention and Response, is basically a place to go to for information, said Brig. Gen. K.C. McClain, the task force commander.

The site has links to all the services' Web sites related to the sexual assault issue. It spells out what people can do if they are victims of sexual assault, the general said.

The designers of the new site, which recently went live, had to name the site with the initials of the organization -- sapr.mil -- rather than something like "sexualassualt.mil" because too many firewalls would block out a request under that name, the general said.

The site is more than just a reporting site. If anyone has questions about the policy, the answers are available on the Web site.

"Because it is a DOD site, one could access this one site and get the overarching information," General McClain said. "Since we link to the service Web sites, an individual could get that information, too."

If a commander or a first sergeant has questions, this site should provide the answers, but if not, they can send an e-mail via the site to a Joint Task Force member.

General McClain said the group already is thinking of improvements.

"We will add other things as we get them done," she said. "We're readying a commander's checklist on sexual assault prevention, for example."