WASHINGTON –
April is designated as Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month. Preventing and responding to sexual assault remains a fight that demands our attention every day. Sexual assault and sexual harassment erode the fabric the National Guard, breaking the sacred trust of our nation, service members, civilians, and their families.
Trust is key to building an environment of prevention. Leaders at all levels must invest in the development of individual character and the promotion of cohesive teams within our organization. Commitment to and living our National Guard core values exemplifies the inherent responsibilities of discipline we vowed to uphold.
The DoD Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office's 2025 Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month theme will continue to be “STEP FORWARD. Prevent. Report. Advocate.” The STEP FORWARD campaign is a call to action for all individuals to use their personal and collective strength to advance meaningful change in preventing and responding to sexual violence. It also emphasizes the work that is still being done to cultivate a culture in which everyone plays an active role in keeping one another safe and taking action when we witness counterproductive behavior.
The National Guard continues to take bold actions on victim care, support, accountability, prevention, and climate and culture, so that we can eradicate sexual assault and sexual harassment once and for all. We know trust matters, and that is why we remain National Guard Strong! We hereby proclaim that April 2025 shall be declared Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month across the National Guard.