Press Release
☷APG Fusion Directorate opens
U.S. Army ( By Press Release office)
Apr 29,2022
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ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND , Md . — The Army’s top Priority is their people , and it is developing strategies and programs that will prevent and reduce issues like sexual assault , sexual harassment , suicide , discrimination and extremism . Developing programs to reduce these harmful behaviors will create a safer working environment for Army soldiers , civilians and contractors . Cutting the ribbon for the new Aberdeen Proving Ground , Md . , SHARP Fusion Center are , from left , Chief of SHARP Redesign with the Army People First Task Force , Col . Erica Cameron; APG Installation SHARP Manager Tracy Marshall; CECOM Commanding General and APG Senior Commander , Maj . Gan . Rob Edmonson; and CECOM and APG Senior Command Sgt . Maj . Kristie Brady . One of these initiatives is the new SHARP Fusion Directorate that opened in late April . The Sexual Harassment/Assault Response and Prevention Fusion Directorate is open to APG military members and civilians . The center will prioritize victim care through providing full services in one centralized location . The SHARP Fusion Center originated as an Army pilot program , an initiative of the People’s First Task Force in response to the widely publicized murder of Spc . Vanessa Guillén when she was stationed in Fort Hood , Texas . In December of 2020 , the Secretary of the Army initiated the People First Task Force to address the findings of the Fort Hood Independent Review Committee that highlighted the need for a stronger and more proactive approach to preventing sexual assault and protecting victims when they come forward . The People First Task Force has developed and evaluated a variety of recommendations for combating sexual harassment , sexual assault , and other detrimental issues . These included a multi - disciplinary fusion directorate under the oversight of an installation’s senior commander . The Task Force used procedures and metrics from an earlier pilot resource program that was discontinued in 2015; however , there are notable differences . With the SHARP redesign , the new pilot centers will prioritize victim care through providing all - inclusive services in one location . The purpose of the redesign is to increase accountability , transparency and efficiency through the coordination of victim care providers , law enforcement investigators and criminal prosecutors . Through doing this , survivors will be able to navigate their reporting process , case resolution and recovery resources more easily . The fusion directorate is an improvement over past systems through the development and issuance of military protective orders and the process where victims receive case notifications . In addition , commanders must assign an investigating officer from outside the chain of command to ensure nonpartisan individuals are integrated into the investigation process . The planned redesign of the SHARP program will be a yearlong initiative hosted at seven different sites . Besides APG , fusion centers will open at Schofield Barracks , Hawaii; Fort Bragg , North Carolina; Fort Irwin , California; Fort Riley , Kansas; and Fort Sill , Oklahoma . In addition to the in - person sites , the Army Reserve will pilot a virtual fusion directorate for the 99th Readiness Division . The redesign and restructure of the SHARP Fusion Directorate Center is based on the Army’s People First priority . People are the Army’s greatest strength and most valuable asset , and sexual harassment and sexual assault hurts readiness — and our Soldiers , civilians , and families and negatively impacts our mission to serve and protect America . Tracy Marshall , the APG Installation SHARP Program Manager , said , “These pilot programs will foster relationships with a variety of organizations which will better provide resources and advocate for victims” . If you need to contact the SHARP Fusion Directorate Center for information or to report an incident , please refer to these resources: APG 24/7 Sexual Assault Hotline ( 410 ) 322 - 7154 DoD Safe Helpline ( 877 ) 995 - 5247 https://www . safehelpline . org usarmy . apg . cecom . mbx . sharp - resource - center@mail . mil https://www . facebook . com/APGMd#!/APGSHARPResourceCenter fref=ts
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