Division West walks, runs for SHARP

By Staff Sgt. Tony Foster, Division West Public Affairs

FORT HOOD, Texas — First Army Division West conducted a “Run/ Walk a Mile in Their Shoes” event here Friday to show that Sexual Harassment and Assault Response Prevention isn’t restricted to a given month on the calendar.

Almost 250 Soldiers and civilians assembled on Cameron Field near the division headquarters to run or walk on Battalion Ave., for SHARP.

“The purpose of this morning’s run is to place emphasis on the fact of what good teams do,” said Maj. Gen. Jeffrey N. Colt, Division West commanding general. “Good teams take care of teammates and they won’t let anything happen to them. It’s good professionalism and it’s the right way to treat people; with dignity and respect.”

The Divisions command sergeant major said events like this prove that every day is a good day to observe and reflect on SHARP.

“There’s a lot of problems within our Army just based off of upbringing personnel,” said Command Sgt. Maj. Patrick K. Akuna, Jr., Division West’s senior enlisted leader. “What we want to do is show that our division is really focused on showing that we educate all our NCOs, our leaders and our Soldiers on the prevention of this act.”

The severity of the issue requires both education and awareness at all levels.

“The awareness and education like today with our ‘Run/Walk a Mile in Their Shoes,’ shows the victims that we are here, we have your back, and we’re standing with you side-by-side,” said Lt. Col. Damar K. Jones, Division West SHARP program manager. “We will prevent this within our ranks.”

For Soldiers assigned to Division West, it’s understood that sexual harassment and assault are not acceptable.

“If our Soldiers come here, raise their right hand to fight for this country, but we can’t even protect ourselves within our own organization, it tears up the essence of the organization,” said Akuna. “We want to make sure that all Soldiers, both male and female, understand that we’re not going to have it in our Army. We’re going to fight it and make this an organization that they can be proud of.”

Division West and its subordinate units continue on in the fight to raise its Soldiers consciousness on SHARP.

“Not in my Army,” said Colt, quoting Sgt. Maj. of the Army Daniel A. Dailey on sexual harassment and sexual assault in our ranks.

“Not in our division, not in our brigades, not in our battalions,” said Colt to the gathered Division West troops.