MARINE CORPS AIR STATION YUMA, Ariz. -- Colonel Scott Jensen, the Sexual Assault Prevention and Response branch head for Headquarters Marine Corps, visited Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Ariz., Tuesday.
Jensen’s visit follows the release of a video by Headquarters Marine Corps on July 25, in which he announced he would be touring Marine Corps installations worldwide to gain perspective on the SAPR program.
Jensen explained the insight he has gathered during this tour, as he has already visited numerous West Coast installations, provides clear-cut goals in strengthening the SAPR program for the future.
“One of the things we’re really focused on is consistency in victim care and engagement [because], as of right now, there are several barriers in assuring our victims get consistent care and support at their new duty stations when they transfer,” said Jensen. “We’re trying to refine this in order to keep our victims engaged and, most importantly, ensure they get the treatment, care and support they need to move on and have a successful Marine Corps career and a successful life after the Marine Corps.”
Jensen expressed that in order to further strengthen the SAPR program, the Marine Corps is reevaluating and restructuring the timing of training, along with the methods through which it is provided.
He also said that for the training to be most effective, it should be delivered in rank-specific, smaller scale classrooms to create a comfortable peer environment and conveyed through a medium Marines can respond and relate to.
“There’s a lot of different training that we ask of our commanders to give to the Marines, and we keep adding training,” said Jensen. “Training burdens; we can’t give any of [the Marines’] time back, and it becomes ineffective if it’s redundant and forced. So we’re really trying hard to ensure that, in the future particularly, we continue to refine our training development.”
Jensen’s tour for SAPR development continues with trips to Marine Corps installations throughout the world in the coming weeks.