FORT STEWART — A Marne soldier was recognized April 15 during a ceremony at the Pentagon for working during his Iraq deployment to eliminate sexual assault and ensure victims receive the best possible care.
Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness Dr. Clifford L. Stanley presented the 2011 Exceptional Sexual Assault Response Coordinator of the Year Award to Sgt. 1st Class Bryan K. Harrison, an equal-opportunity advisor with the 3rd Infantry Division.
Before the ceremony, Harrison and four other service winners sat down with senior leaders in the office of the under secretary of defense to discuss sexual-assault prevention and the issue of reporting the offense.
“The meeting went very well,” Harrison said.
“They were particularly interested to know what was happening in the field and what they could to do help.”
His commitment to ensure all soldiers are successful is the driving force to his own success, he said.
“I enjoy taking care of the soldiers,” Harrison said. “It is important to me that soldiers can live up to their full potential, free of any bias, so they can be the best person they can be.”
Harrison reflected on one particular incident where his skills were put to the test and, thanks to his training, he was able to help another soldier.
“It wasn’t 48 hours (upon arriving in Iraq) and the outgoing unit we were replacing was faced with an incident,” he said. “I did what I was trained to do. (It was) like muscle memory, like firing your weapon.”
“Sexual assault response coordinators are critical in providing the necessary systematic support for victims of sexual assault,” said Lt. Col. Shatrece Buchanan, the 3rd ID EO officer in charge. “Systematic leadership involves a thorough knowledge base of providing information to victims to care for them and to help them on the road of recovery.”
“Sgt. 1st Class Harrison’s initiative and quiet wisdom helped our team succeed in theater,” Buchanan said. “He not only organized the curriculum, but he helped develop the sexual assault program and its framework.”
Despite all the formal recognition Harrison has received, he remains modest. “I was just doing the best job I could do in the position I was in,” he said. “I had a lot of help down range. So much went right in the training phase that when something went wrong, everyone knew what to do.”
On the same day Harrison received his award, DoD officials launched the new DoD Safe Helpline. The DoD Safe Helpline provides constant, confidential, one-on-one help and support worldwide to aid victims of sexual assault within the DoD community. Harrison said he believes the new hotline will increase sexual assault reports.
The new hotline number is 877-995-5247. For more information, go to www.safehelpline.org.