Sexual Assault victim support offered at AEDC

  • Published
  • By Raquel March
  • AEDC/PA
ARNOLD AIR FORCE BASE, TENN. --  Two AEDC employees are filling the roles of the base's Sexual Assault Prevention and Response victim advocates.

Wind tunnel project manager Allie Falk and financial management specialist Lynn Armer were trained at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., with the Sexual Assault Resource Coordinator (SARC) there. Because AEDC is a smaller installation and has a smaller military and civilian population, cases are referred to Eglin's SARC.

Falk and Armer received victim advocate training, where they learned the rules and regulations of sexual assault cases in the Air Force. They also learned more about the types of emotional and moral support they would provide and the resources available to them through Eglin.

"During our training at Eglin we were taught symptoms of sexual assault, the trauma of it, the healing aspect, helping skills, self-care for the victim, substance abuse, the victim blaming themselves, etc.," Armer said. "I was very unaware of how often drug-facilitated rapes occur and what they use to render the person helpless. I hope being a VA, we can help the victim with the tools they need to recover from the assault and begin their healing process."

Both women say they volunteered for the program because it is an opportunity to help someone during a critical time of need. Falk, who also does work with suicide prevention outside of AEDC, said she has seen up close and personal what sexual assault victims go through.

"You see their emotional states and how, if they didn't get help 20 years ago when it happened and they're trying to get help now, it affects them later in life," Falk said. "And we just want to be there when it happens to them - to help them start that healing process as quickly as possible."

Falk and Armer have a list of contacts at area hospitals and shelters, as well as sexual assault counselors they can refer victims to.

Anyone needing assistance from a sexual assault victim advocate can call the Arnold Sexual Assault Hotline at (931) 581-7494. The hotline is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Calls are confidential.