This past Monday, I spoke to many of the men and women at Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska. From the leaders of the base to the newest of the enlisted, everyone was wonderful to work with. Often non-military people will ask me the following two questions about speaking to the military, "Who brings you to a base and what is it like?"
In the military, SARC stands for "Sexual Assault Response Coordinator" and is a position designated to address the many issues surrounding sexual assault. When I have been brought onto a military base, it has always been by the SARC contact (or someone from that office). These professionals are passionate individuals who fully understand the need for this content to be given for all levels of the military. Due to timing and other restrictions, we are not able to talk with every single person and so each base must choose which of their members will attend.
As to the "What is it like speaking to the military" question people love to ask me, the answer is simple — it is FANTASTIC!! Why wouldn’t it be? Typically, the audience is 18 – 24 years old (almost exactly the same as a college audience). They are in the "dating world" or married. Consequenlty, they see and/or experience all the problems and struggles that exist in relationships and intimacy. Plus, they enter the program with a positive attitude of wanting to be entertained and challenged — all while displaying respect for you as a presenter. The e-mails and comments we receive from the attendees afterwards prove how attentive of an audience they are AND how much they wanted the material.
Every time I get to speak to our military, I am honored!! As I told the men and women on Monday, "My work depends on me being able to speak freely and being able to challenge society’s norms. I am forever grateful for your willingness to fight for those freedoms!!!"