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My Coast Guard
Commentary | Nov. 13, 2020

DoD SAPRR Call for 2021 Nominations: Excellence in Primary Prevention Award

By MyCG Staff

The Department of Defense (DOD) sponsors the Excellence in Primary Prevention Award in Recognition of an individual, group, or unit from each service branch, component, or organization for their work in advancing the primary prevention of sexual assault. Nominations for the 2021 Excellence in Primary Prevention Award are due Dec. 11, 2020. 

This award – which will be announced in October 2021 – will recognize those who have taken significant efforts (in progress or completed) supported by demonstrated positive effects within their sphere of influence to include military service academy, reserve officer training corps detachment, installation, base, unit, organization, cutter, deployed environment or reserve component. 

Policies, programs or practices at any level of the organization are eligible activities.

We are looking for our strongest representatives of what Coast Guard Sexual Assault Response Coordinator, Victim Advocates, or any personnel are doing in regards to advancing the primary prevention of sexual assault. It is important to note that stand-alone, awareness-rasing activities (fun runs, obstacle courses, mobile applications that provide information) executed outside of a comprehensive prevention strategy are not considered sufficient to prevent sexual assault and as such, are not in keeping with the intent of this award. This award will recognize demonstrated positive effects within a sphere of influence. 

The nominee and activity from each service branch must meet the following eligibility requirements:

  • Anonymous nominations are not accepted
  • The nominee must be a military or federal government civilian. Contractor personnel are not eligible for this award.
  • The nominee’s activity must have been implemented within the award period from Oct. 1, 2019-Sept. 30, 2020. If a nominee executes a permanent change of station or is transferred, the military component or organization headquarters may still consider that nomination based on the award period.
  • The nominee must have no disciplinary action in the two years preceding the award period. 
  • The activity, nominee, or their involvement must not violate UCMJ, DOD or Coast Guard policy, violate victim or service member rights (including the accused), harm victims or service members, negatively impact a court martial, or undermine the chain of command.
  • Nominations for the Excellence in Primary Prevention Award must include the nominee’s name, biography, citation, photo, and narrative consisting an overview of the activity address risk and/or protective factors for sexual assault, details of any collaboration that occurred within the activity, and a description of how the activity is being evaluated and the impact.

Submissions should be sent to the Health, Safety Work Life Service Center team. 

SAPRR Program Coordinator Magnus Graham and SAPRR  Program Manager, Michelle Underwood.