HONOLULU, Hawaii –
Maj. Ran Du, Public Health Command-Pacific’s sexual assault response coordinator, was recognized as the 2020 Medical Command Exceptional SARC on May 7.
Nominated for his efforts leading the PHC-P Sexual Harassment Assault Response and Prevention program, Du will represent MEDCOM as the nominee for the 2020 Department of Army Exceptional SARC award.
“Each year, the Department of Defense recognizes one Exceptional Sexual Assault Response Coordinator from each of the services,” said Col. Heidi Mon, PHC-P’s commander. “We are very proud that Maj. Du’s nomination will now compete at the Department of Army level. His commitment to the SHARP program embodies the PHC-P credo of ‘100/0!’ which means 100 percent accountability and responsibility and zero excuses for not giving our best every day.”
During his time as the PHC-P SARC, Du created an integrated and robust SHARP program across a geographically dispersed brigade. The program provides support to more than 500 personnel assigned to more than 50 installations, spanning five different countries and five U.S. states and territories within the Indo-Pacific.
Du personally met with each of the five subordinate battalion commanders and actively engaged more than 14 victim advocates to ensure unit leaders fully supported the SHARP program.
“It all starts with the command’s support,” said Du. “It enables our victim advocates to promote a push for change rather than just having everyone participate in the mandatory training.”
To help advocate a change in culture, Du also assisted battalion victim advocates in partnering with local SHARP programs on Army, Navy, and Air Force installations to create an extended SHARP network. This integrated network ensured potential victims received the same services regardless of location.
“By working together as a team, we are able to encourage survivors to file reports while preventing sexual assault within the brigade before they happen,” Du said. “We are stronger together, and together we are here to advocate for the survivors’ needs.”
As COVID-19 restrictions and stay-at-home orders went into effect in March, Du continued to advocate teamwork and cultural changes despite social distancing. Rather than letting Sexual Assault Awareness Prevention Month fall to the side, Du worked with victim advocates to host a virtual 5K race and Denim Day contest to help raise SAAPM awareness throughout the month of April.
With hundreds of participants, Du and his team strengthened the commitment to cultural change and the SHARP program throughout the brigade by leading the way in the Indo-Pacific.
“There are a lot of great things about the SHARP program, but I definitely think that it comes down to teamwork and commitment to the program,” Du explained. “When everyone is committed and willing to take on this challenge as a unit, great things happen. I think that if everyone in the Army can do what we did then we can definitely eliminate sexual assault.”
For Du, this nomination isn’t about him; it’s about the entire PHC-P team, he said.
“It’s a great honor to have the nomination, and I think of it as a team award,” explained Du. “It really is a reflection of teamwork and the work that our victim advocates have done throughout the brigade.”