Sexual assault survivor outlines steps for victims, commanders Published April 26, 2016 By Amy Rollins Skywrighter Staff WRIGHT-PATTERSON AFB, OHIO -- A former Marine intelligence officer shared how she survived a sexual assault and moved toward wholeness again as part of Wright-Patterson Air Force Base's observance of Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month. Claire Russo told her story of hope and resiliency April 15 at the Wright-Patterson Club. In his introductory remarks, Col. John Devillier, 88th Air Base Wing commander, spoke of treating one another with dignity, honor and respect. "We all know that sexual assault and physical violence are the polar opposites of the three core values of the United States Air Force," he said. "These behaviors impact more than the individuals involved; they have far-reaching impacts across an organization and the Air Force. "It is important to note that the majority of Airmen are not victims of sexual assault and they're not perpetrators of sexual assault," Devillier said. "But it is also important to note that the majority of Airmen can play a role in the prevention of sexual assault." Those roles, he said, must include: * supporting victims; * individually insisting that work environments are professional; * continuing to reinforce that prevention is 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. Devillier noted the Air Force is moving away from being an organization that reacts to sexual assault and physical violence to one that is proactive in preventing them. The upcoming Green Dot training is one way of moving toward that, he said. "Every Airman is a leader ... because one person can make a difference in an organization. My challenge to you is be that person, be that Airman. You set the tone in your organization," Devillier said. He thanked Russo for her moral courage in speaking about her experience. Russo is a military spouse and advocate for survivors of sexual assault and trauma. She has spent the past decade sharing her personal story to help survivors of trauma and those who are struggling to heal from challenges they face. Russo acknowledged her psychological resilience but said it isn't a trait she was born with; it's a process. "Psychological resilience is fighting the effect of the stress of a traumatic event," she said. She tried to share her experiences with the military so commands and communities might set up processes that help make victims' healing easier and eliminate a culture of violence. Russo joined the Marines in 2003 after college. In fall 2004, she was assigned as an air intelligence officer at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, San Diego. She was drugged at the Marine Corps Ball, then assaulted by a fellow officer. Her cousin Tom, a Navy F-18 pilot and instructor at the base, and her roommate, reported the assault to his commander. Russo described the trauma in the months that followed of how the Marine Corps systematically failed her by never prosecuting her attacker, making her work environment intolerable, revoking her security clearance, refusing to move her and more. Bolstered by her boyfriend-now-husband, Josh, and family, Russo reached out to the San Diego district attorney. After the second day of the subsequent trial, her attacker Capt. Douglas Dowson pled guilty to one of the 18 charges against him and was sentenced to three years in prison. He is now a registered sex offender and was discharged from the Marine Corps. "It was a huge victory," Russo said. Following the trial, she was deployed to Fallujah, Iraq, and felt very vulnerable and was hyper-vigilant. There was no exterior lighting on the few female Marines' side of the camp, and when Russo voiced her concerns about safety, she was ignored. She decided to leave the Marine Corps, as did her boyfriend. She was medically discharged, having been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder. "We both felt pretty betrayed," she said. After they married, Russo's husband joined the Army and she worked in Afghanistan for the Army's Human Terrain program, forming female engagement teams. She said she has worked on strategic integration of women into the military and other organizations ever since. "From 2004 to 2016 a lot has changed. It's important to understand that now the military is out in front of this problem of sexual assault," Russo said. "It wasn't because we were the military that we had a sexual assault problem; it's because we are part of the American culture that we had a sexual assault problem. We have made so much progress since then." Her case began drawing attention in 2011 and 2012 as the problem of sexual assault began to be addressed more vigorously. She participated in many media interviews. "In a lot of ways, this has shaped my life in some of the most positive ways you could ever imagine. That's a bizarre thing to say, but the process of what I went through after the assault is what made me who I am today," she said. Russo offered five steps sexual assault victims may want to consider, and commanders might be aware of: * Ask and seek help. Commanders would do well to know what their resources are and what/who would be the best match for victims. What helps one person may not help another. * Set boundaries. Know your limits and rights. * Understand the role you played as a victim. (Russo said she had been drinking alcohol the night she was assaulted. Blaming alcohol for what happened and refraining from ever drinking again and resenting people who drank in front of her was not the right response in her recovery, Russo's cousin Tom told her.) * Be prepared for and accept a "new normal." * Take care of yourself mentally and physically. Listen to yourself and what you need. She asks commanders to be human and actually help not just offer it; not make assumptions; be trustworthy; uphold rules and standards; and "do the basics" in outlining job responsibilities so people can approach with the "hard stuff." Devillier thanked Russo for her speech and presented her with a certificate and Wright-Patterson coin.