Making a difference – the 62nd AW JA team

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. Todd Wivell
  • 62nd Airlift Wing Public Affairs
JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wash. --  Making decisions about sexual assault matters in the Air Force is a topic of discussion across the military, at headquarters worldwide, at the numerous wings throughout the AF and reverberates down to every unit commander and leader around.

"We recognize the importance of this topic and that we cannot afford to get it wrong - ever," said Lt. Col. Jeff Palomino, 62nd Airlift Wing staff judge advocate. "That is why it took no convincing of my wing commander to allow us to provide a workshop on the legal facts of sexual assault."
    
More than 50 commanders, chiefs, first sergeants and senior NCO's representing five major commands gathered at the McChord Club, Feb. 19, for a three-hour training on what every leader needs to know.
   
Topics included unlawful command influence, the elements of Article 120 of the Uniformed Code of Military Justice, commander-relevant updates outlined in the National Defense Authorization Act, victim collateral misconduct, command action against retaliation and the role of the Special Victims' Counsel.
    
"Although commanders receive a level of legal training and are about to participate in a new, even more advanced, senior officer legal orientation course, we believe we can do something to continue to equip commanders," said Palomino. "This training will help them deal with the many changes being implemented in response to this serious crime."
    
In addition to the training, the 62nd AW legal team provided a thorough overview of sexual assault case processing, outlining who does what, where and when here at McChord.
    
The processes from allegation, to investigation, preliminary hearing, referral and then the general court martial were explained in depth.
    
Furthermore, they conducted a rapid fire question and answer session with a panel consisting of the Team McChord sexual assault response coordinator, the lead agent for the McChord AF Office of Special Investigations and the McChord staff judge advocate.
    
Questions included but where not limited to the 48-hour process once a victim had come forward, the role of OSI and who they can call to witness, what can be brought and kept into evidence and so on.
    
The workshop was designed to train Team McChord leadership and to be an exchange of ideas and information about legal issues involved in sexual assault.
    
"This training must continue on from here," said Col. David Kumashiro, 62nd Airlift Wing commander. "If you, as leaders, do not take what you learned here today out to your units and share what you have learned, then we are not doing our jobs."
    
"In the end, change always begins with one person and the response to sexual assault is no exception," said Palomino. "The next time you're tempted to wonder what others are doing about sexual assault in the Air Force, instead, ask yourself, 'What can I do?'"