JBSA members compete in first SAAPM survivor challenge

A member of the Army #1 team races to the finish line carrying a 60 pound bag during the “Survivor’s Challenge” April 13, 2017, at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph. Survivor’s Challenge is a JBSA competition where teams compete in mental and physical challenges to help raise awareness and prevent sexual assault within the military and federal service. (U.S. Air Force photo by Sean M. Worrell)

JBSA members compete in first SAAPM survivor challenge

The final clue to the “Survivor’s Challenge” April 13, 2017, at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph. Survivor’s Challenge is a JBSA competition where teams compete in mental and physical challenges to help raise awareness and prevent sexual assault within the military and federal service. (U.S. Air Force photo by Sean M. Worrell)

JBSA members compete in first SAAPM survivor challenge

Brig. Gen. Heather Pringle, 502nd Air Base Wing and Joint Base San Antonio commander, announce the “Survivor’s Challenge” winning team April 13, 2017, at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph. Survivor’s Challenge is a JBSA competition where teams compete in mental and physical challenges to help raise awareness and prevent sexual assault within the military and federal service. (U.S. Air Force photo by Sean M. Worrell)

JBSA members compete in first SAAPM survivor challenge

The 902nd Security Forces Squadron “Survivor’s Challenge” team posses with Brig. Gen. Heather Pringle, 502nd Air Base Wing and Joint Base San Antonio commander, after winning first place during the competition April 13, 2017, at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph. Survivor’s Challenge is a JBSA competition where teams compete in mental and physical challenges to help raise awareness and prevent sexual assault within the military and federal service. (U.S. Air Force photo by Sean M. Worrell)

JBSA members compete in first SAAPM survivor challenge

Allen Blair, 502nd Air Base Wing sexual assault response coordinator, motivates competitors prior to the start of the “Survivor’s Challenge” April 13, 2017, at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph. Survivor’s Challenge is a JBSA competition where teams compete in mental and physical challenges to help raise awareness and prevent sexual assault within the military and federal service. (U.S. Air Force photo by Sean M. Worrell)

JBSA members compete in first SAAPM survivor challenge

Published April 18, 2017
By By Senior Airman Stormy Archer
502nd Air Base Wing Public Affairs

JOINT BASE SAN ANONIO-RANDOLPH, Texas --

Personnel from across JBSA gathered to compete in the first ever JBSA Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Survivor Challenge April 13 at JBSA-Randolph.

The event was called the SAPR Survivor Challenge because it incorporated challenges a survivor of sexual assault might go through, including both mental and physical obstacles.

“It’s great to have a joint event to tackle the problem of sexual assault in our military,” said Brig. Gen. Heather Pringle, 502nd Air Base Wing and JBSA commander. “It cuts all ranks, it cuts all services and it’s great to have you all on our team fighting this together. It’s not just April. This is the momentum that we are going to carry all year around to stop sexual assault.”

The theme of this year’s Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month is, protecting our people protects our mission. Sexual assault can impact an individual and also impact a unit’s ability to perform its mission. A whole team effectively preventing and responding to sexual assault effects the health, morale and welfare of a unit and is essential to unit readiness.

The event began with a mental challenge requiring contestants to visit organizations at JBSA-Randolph that help survivors of sexual assault and answer questions about the resources available to them.

After the mental portion of the event, teams gathered at the Rambler Fitness Center track and field to compete in a relay obstacle course that included carrying sandbags, dragging a weight on a rope, flipping a “tire”, pushing a sled and running a lap around a quarter-mile track while wearing body armor.

The physical challenge involved characteristics a survivor would have to possess to overcome a sexual assault like endurance, flexibility, strength and resilience, said Allen Blair, JBSA-Randolph sexual assault response coordinator.

“We want to make people understand what a survivor of sexual assault goes through,” said Blair. “We also want people to be aware that it takes a team to help someone who has been sexually assaulted, and it takes a team to come together to fight and put an end to sexual assault.”

Teams competed for the SAAPM championship belt and were scored on how quickly they completed each task and how many questions they answered correctly.

The winning team was the 902nd Security Forces Squadron with a time of 26:04.