It was pretty clear both of them were attracted to each other. Jim and Jane’s conversation turned intimate. They found a secluded place at the party and started to kiss. Jane told Jim she was okay with ‘‘hooking up,” but Jim noticed that Jane appeared very intoxicated. As they continued to kiss and touch each other, Jane became less and less responsive. Soon it was clear to Jim that Jane was pretty out of it.

However, Jane had told him she was ‘‘okay” with ‘‘hooking up.” Jim was pretty worked up at this point, but knew he wasn’t thinking clearly due to a combination of alcohol and hormones. Given the situation what should Jim do?

Daphnie Freeman, sexual assault response coordinator said consent is not given when a person uses force, threat of forces or coercion or when the victim is asleep, incapacitated or unconscious.

Military law recognizes that when someone is passed out, she or he is unable to give consent. If you have sex with someone who is passed out or incapable of giving consent, it is considered sexual assault.

Sexual assault is a crime.

It is defined as intentional sexual contact, characterized by use of force, physical threats or abuse of authority or when the victim does not or cannot consent. Sexual assaults include: rape, nonconsensual sodomy, indecent assault which includes unwanted, inappropriate sexual contact or fondling.

In a nutshell, saying no to any type of sexual contact means no, if it goes further, this is deemed sexual assault, said Freeman.

Freeman said a major contributor of sexual assault is alcohol.

‘‘We must bring special attention to the dangerous intersection between alcohol and sexual assault. While servicemembers may enjoy relaxing and socializing with a drink from time to time, many sexual predators use alcohol as a weapon. They prey on particularly vulnerable individuals who have had too much to drink” said Freeman.

According to the Department of Defense, they are committed to providing comprehensive response and care to victims of sexual assault. DoD policy provides two options for military victims to speak up against sexual assault.

The two types of reporting are restricted and unrestricted. Both options allow for medical treatment and confidentiality. The restricted reporting allows the victim to disclose the assault and use support services without an investigation however, the assaulter goes unpunished. The unrestricted reporting allows the victim to initiate an investigation, the commanders will be notified, and the assaulter is punished.

‘‘It’s more important to speak up,” said Freeman.

There are many reasons why victims won’t speak up. One of them is reprisal. However, victims should know if they report an assault they should not have to worry about reprisal. Commanders are trained to prevent and acknowledge sexual assaults. For instance, if the servicemember is under the age of drinking and was assaulted, the commander does have the option of not using reprisal. Another reason for not speaking up is the growing increase of male to male sexual assault. Freeman said there seems to be a stigma when it comes to males reporting sexual assaults.

Reporting helps DoD mobilize resources to assist the victim and allows commanders to better understand and respond to sexual assaults in their command.

This year’s sexual assault prevention theme is ‘‘Prevent sexual assault-Ask! Act! Intervene!

It focuses on the ability of every Servicemember to prevent sexual assault by being proactive by looking out for each other. Servicemembers should ask if their friends and co-workers need help, act when help is needed and intervene when friends are in trouble.

To reinforce this message, Fort Detrick has victim advocates, trained servicemembers, located in various units who will listen, give advice, and help the victim give them the appropriate resources.

To report sexual assault, call 301-619-3050. For 24⁄7 assistance call 301-815-1113.

What happens next: