Posted on Aug 21, 2018
Is an assignment as a SHARP Officer a good choice?
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Responses: 5
What do you mean by SHARP officer? I'm only aware of SARCs (Sexual Assault Response Coordinators) and VAs (Victim Advocates). I know at company someone can only be a SHARP trainer. VA and SARC are at BN and BDE level and generally for those you have to be a NCO, officer or warrant officer.
Also I think everyone has to go to SHARP Academy for any training anymore to be a trainer, SARC or VA.
I was a company VA (when they still had them), then a BN SARC and then BDE SARC. I volunteered to do SHARP (and this was before the Academy). If you ever are a VA or SARC realize that if you get a case, that's your priority until it's resolved - and it's not easy. The things you will hear from victims are not for faint of heart. It's also extremely hard if a case is found unsubstantiated (which does not mean false) and you have to tell them that.
You should want to choose this position because you want to be an advocate for victims, to be their voice. That's why I wanted to do it. I didn't do it for promotion potential or assignments or any of that. I did it because I wanted to help soldiers who went through one of the most traumatic events you could experience and know they do have a voice. They have people who care because there was none of this when I first came in.
Also I think everyone has to go to SHARP Academy for any training anymore to be a trainer, SARC or VA.
I was a company VA (when they still had them), then a BN SARC and then BDE SARC. I volunteered to do SHARP (and this was before the Academy). If you ever are a VA or SARC realize that if you get a case, that's your priority until it's resolved - and it's not easy. The things you will hear from victims are not for faint of heart. It's also extremely hard if a case is found unsubstantiated (which does not mean false) and you have to tell them that.
You should want to choose this position because you want to be an advocate for victims, to be their voice. That's why I wanted to do it. I didn't do it for promotion potential or assignments or any of that. I did it because I wanted to help soldiers who went through one of the most traumatic events you could experience and know they do have a voice. They have people who care because there was none of this when I first came in.
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It definitely won't hurt your career. It might be something that could make you sick to your stomach. I imagine that everything a victim advocate deals with is disgusting. Be it horrendous actions of perpetrators, having to tell people that their claims are unsubstantiated, these are things that can get to a person. Good luck with your possible assignment.
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