Everett Leadership Trains to Recognize, Prevent Domestic Violence

By Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class (SW) Sonja M. Chambers, Navy Public Affairs Support Element, Det. Northwest

EVERETT, Wash. (NNS) -- The Naval Station (NAVSTA) Everett Fleet and Family Support Center (FFSC) held its quarterly Domestic Violence Executive Leadership Training July 6 in Everett, Wash.

Leaders from USS Shoup (DDG 86), USS Ingraham (FFG 61) and Regional Support Organization Pacific Northwest attended the training, which focused on recognizing and preventing family violence and sexual assault.

The training, which is held monthly at different locations around Navy Region Northwest, is for commanding and executive officers and command master chiefs. They must attend the training within 60 days of assuming their leadership position.

Lyn Smith, the life skills educator for NAVSTA Everett, said the training covers a very important topic and provides vital information to the command leadership.

"The training brings it back to the forefront," said Smith. "It reinforces just how important this issue is."

Speakers covered different aspects of family violence and sexual assault including how to recognize signs of abuse and how to protect both the military and family members in the event abuse has occurred.

Kathryn Arnett, Everett's family advocacy representative, said the training reinforces and reiterates their responsibilities and obligations for reporting.

"As senior leadership, they have obligations to report these incidences," said Arnett. "We want to make sure that they know what their responsibilities are. We also let them know what services we have available and what we can do to team with them on these kinds of cases."

Arnett said the FFSC offers many types of training to commands including general military trainings.

"There's overlap in the trainings so that family violence and sexual assault education classes are offered consistently throughout the year in several different forums," said Arnett.

Smith said the main point of the training is to remind leaders that the FFSC is ready to assist.

"We are a team," Arnett said. "Fleet and Family cannot prevent or intervene without the command and vice versa. It takes a team approach to prevent and intervene on both family violence and sexual assault."

For more information on family violence and sexual assault prevention, contact a local FFSC.