Green Dot roll-out begins at JB MDL Published Feb. 3, 2016 By Christian Deluca Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst Public Affairs JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, N.J. -- The joint base hosted the first of two initial regional Green Dot training sessions this week. The sessions will provide implementer and coordinator training to attendees from across the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic. They will then be responsible for passing down the new violence prevention training to service members and Defense Department personnel at their respective bases. The Air Force contracted Green Dot, a non-profit violence prevention organization, to provide anti-violence training tools over the next three years. The move will combine a variety of standalone programs under one umbrella and is expected to reduce annual anti-violence related training requirements while decreasing the amount of interpersonal violence incidents across the Air Force. The program, which focuses on a socio-ecological health model using evidence-based training, will transfer the responsibility of monitoring the mandatory annual training from the Sexual Assault Response Coordinator to a newly hired violence prevention specialist. "That's a positive thing," said Mary Kierstead, 87th Family Support Squadron SARC. "Because it frees the SARC up to do what it needs to do, which is to focus on victim response as opposed to tracking the training for the base. That really has been taking up half of my job." The violence prevention specialist will oversee the program, which will include nine implementers (two of whom will also be coordinators) responsible for conducting the training for the base. Approximately 2500 Airmen, or 15% of the base's working population, will become peer leaders, who will support Green Dot behaviors within their sphere of influence, and help create an atmosphere that's conducive to an anti-violence environment. Kierstead said that although reports of sexual abuse received by her office have increased recently, the number of reports don't always tell the whole story. "Ninety percent of the reports I received for fiscal year 2015 took place either at previous bases, prior to members joining the military, while at a temporary duty station or deployed," Kierstead said. "As far as sexual violence happening here on base, those numbers have actually gone down drastically." She attributes the base's current success to the proactive stance taken with some of the programs already in place, such as Team Teal, a theater group comprised of military members who perform scenario-based improve during commander's calls. "They get very good feedback," She said. "They use the language that Airmen use. Sometimes it can be offensive. Sometimes they will simulate violence, but that's what's out there. Its very reality based. "They will talk about Tinder and you can see all the Airmen chuckling, and all the commanders in the front row are on their phones googling what Tinder is." Lisa Williams, 87th FSS community support coordinator, said the addition of the Green Dot training, which has shown to be effective at reducing interpersonal violence in independent studies, should only improve the base's gains. "We're excited about the training coming to the base," Williams said. "Because when you read the studies and materials, there has been success with it. It ties into the whole Wingman philosophy and it just makes sense." In studies at the University of Kentucky, in self-reported surveys following implementation of Green Dot training, freshmen students reported decreases in perpetrating and experiencing interpersonal violence, unwanted sex, sexual harassment, stalking and psychological dating violence. These decreases ranged from 12 to 36 percent. Williams said one of the reasons the program makes sense is that the training is tailored to the audience. The Green Dot program adapts training to different levels based on roles and responsibilities within the organization. "This is a very positive thing," she said. "Because leaders have been getting the same training as Airmen out of tech school." To supplement the new training, a violence prevention working group, which will be comprised of "game players" on base, is also in the works. The group will meet every month, look at the data trends and discuss additional programs that could be employed to compliment the training. Kierstead said with all the changes to the annual training the ability to report a violent incident will remain the same. To report an incident of sexual assault contact the SARC at: (609) 754-2968 To report an incident of physical abuse contact the Family Advocacy Program at (609) 754-9680