- Military units pause training amid compliance reviews with Trump's directives.
- The pause is also affecting some courses that train troops to help victims of assault.
- Military sexual assault rates persist, though some services report a decline.
President Donald Trump's executive orders targeting government diversity, equity, and inclusion activities and "gender ideology" appear to be throwing a wrench into some military sexual assault prevention education programs.
Some units have paused their sexual assault prevention and response, known as SAPR, training efforts amid ongoing reviews of program compliance with Trump's orders.
In response to the orders, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) sent out memos on implementing the president's orders, each referencing relevant training.
Destiny Sibert, a Navy spokeswoman, told Business Insider Thursday that "in compliance with OPM guidance, Commander, Navy Installations Command (CNIC), which oversees the Navy SAPR program, has temporarily paused training for SAPR staff." A review of the curriculum is underway to "ensure compliance with recent executive orders," she said.
Sibert added that the "necessary revisions will be completed and updated materials will be provided to the sexual assault response workforce soonest."
The SAPR training pause does not extend to support services provided to sexual assault victims, Sibert said. "CNIC and the Navy SAPR program are committed to providing quality care, advocacy and support to the Navy community."
A spokesperson for the Marine Corps, which falls under the Department of the Navy, told Business Insider that "as of February 4, SAPR-related training was temporarily paused to review and ensure compliance with Executive Orders and directives." Training is expected to resume this week.
Neither the White House nor the Army and the Air Force responded to Business Insider's request for comment by time of publication.
What is SAPR?
Sexual Assault Prevention and Response (SAPR) was created in 2005 to be "DoD's single point of accountability for sexual assault prevention and response policy and program oversight," according to the program's website. The mission is to prevent assault by educating troops, and to provide support to victims.
US military personnel are required to receive sexual assault prevention training every year. The training is geared toward various rank blocks— for example, junior enlisted troops receive different education than senior enlisted troops or officers. These annual sexual assault prevention trainings normally last around one hour.
US military sexual consent education is often the first time that junior service members receive formal instruction on what constitutes consent, as most states lack consent education in K-12 grade school curricula, according to the Guttmacher Institute, a sexual health and reproductive rights research and policy organization.
The people who teach service members about consent are usually other uniformed personnel who have attended a short course to become a "uniformed victim advocate." The UVA position is most often a collateral duty for troops who are also expected to assist victims of sexual assault in the wake of an assault.
Such assistance can include liaising with commanders, mental health professionals, and legal services to advocate on behalf of the victim.
Military sexual assault rates have remained a persistent problem within the armed forces, though reports last year indicated that rates may be on the decline for the first time in years for some, but not all, military services. Many military assaults are never reported.
If you are a survivor of sexual assault, you can call the National Sexual Assault Hotline (1-800-656-4673) or visit its website to receive confidential support.
