F.E. WARREN AIR FORCE BASE, Wyo. -- The Deputy Secretary of Defense and the Department of Defense Inspector General jointly issued a memorandum updating Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Program policies Nov. 10, 2021.
“This new policy change allows for the victim to make a restricted report and receive services from the SAPR Program, even if they disclosed the sexual assault to someone in their chain of command,” said Rebecca Nordin, 90th Missile Wing Sexual Assault Response Coordinator.
The memorandum additionally authorizes the use of the Section 540K Declination Letter. This form enables victims to decline participation in an investigation initiated by third-party reports or by the victim’s chain of command. The form becomes useful when a victim discloses an assault to a supervisor, who proceeds to forward the information to criminal investigators.
“It also updates eligibility for a sexual assault victim with an unrestricted report and provides them the opportunity to enter information into the Catch a Serial Offender Program when the identity of the subject was not disclosed by the victim or uncovered by law enforcement,” said Nordin.
The CATCH Program, a program existing prior to the memorandum, allows for victims filing restricted reports to submit information about perpetrators in an effort to identify repeat offenders.
Help is just a phone call away. If you have been sexually assaulted or have any questions about sexual assault, please call the base's 24/7 SARC Response Helpline at (307)773-7272 (SARC).
Additionally, the DoD has a 24-hour hotline at 1-800-342-9647 for geographically separated military personnel. Military members who access the DoD hotline will be referred to the nearest Sexual Assault Response Coordinator's office for assistance.