Soldiers Acting In Iraq

Sexual harassment is no laughing matter and the Airmen and Soldiers on Joint Base Balad, Iraq, are taking some action.  Staff Sgt. Thomas J. Russo of East Meadow New York joined the Sexual Harassment and Assault Prevention team to help get the word out. 

Over three days December 3rd -5th and five locations around the post the team acted out five different scenarios of sexual assault: drugging an unsuspecting female, a new female in a male dominant work environment, female point of view on sexual harassment, male point of view on sexual harassment, and female supervisor sexually harassing a new male Soldiers; to audiences deployed Soldiers and Airmen.

Staff Sgt. Russo volunteered to come on deployment with Task Force 34 he is currently serving with 2-149th General Support Aviation Battalion Headquarters as a Human Resource Noncommissioned Officer.  As an outgoing individual Russo met Maj. Carina Givens 332 Expeditionary Wing, serving as JBB’s Sexual Assault Representative Coordinator (SARC), and with his acting background was asked to join the team when the Unit arrived in theater a few months ago. 

Sexual harassment has no place in the work environment and the military has penalties for those who disobey them.  “We should do more of these,” said Capt. Ashley Brown with 2-149th GSAB Headquarters who attended one of the shows, “The real trouble with issues like harassment is they are hard to discuses and harder to teach about; normally done by PowerPoint presentations which can become dry.”  By performing these skits the word is still getting into the Soldiers hands and the issues are being addressed in a group environment.  “I joined the project because of the message they were putting out,” said Russo, “and more so the way they were doing it outside the traditional box.”

They were dynamic and in your face.  After each of the performances the audience had the opportunity to join in a game of JBB Jeopardy in which they were asked questions about sexual harassment. 

By Sgt. Edward Thorne
HHC 2-149 GSAB Unit Public Affairs Representative