Florida Soldier chosen as National Guard's top Sexual Assault Response Coordinator

ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. - A Florida National Guard Soldier has been selected as one of the nation’s top military experts in the area of sexual assault prevention and response.

Capt. Jennifer Hunt was chosen as one of the 2013 Department of Defense’s Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office (SAPRO) Exceptional Sexual Assault Response Coordinators (SARC), representing all National Guard SARCs in the nation.

A military SARC ensures that victims of sexual assault receive appropriate and responsive care, and serves as a single point of contact to coordinate sexual assault victim care.

“I am honored to represent Florida and the National Guard Sexual Assault Prevention and Response program,” said Hunt, who has served in the military since 1994. “I am even more honored to have the opportunity to work with more than 50 other SARCs that serve our nation and their communities.  They are all truly exceptional.”

Hunt, a resident of St. Augustine, became the Florida National Guard’s SARC in January 2010, and has trained more than 100 Florida National Guard victim advocates in sexual assault and harassment response issues. In 2011 she was presented with the Victim Advocate of the Year award by the Jacksonville Mayors Victim Assistance Advisory Committee.

“I am fortunate enough to be surrounded by personnel at every level from my peers to National Guard leaders who are dedicated to providing the care and confidentiality deserved by victims and eradicating this crime from our forces,” she said.

Hunt was chosen from a group of 11 National Guard nominees for this honor.

“It is quite an honor to be recognized among all the other National Guard SARCs and I know that she reflects the best of the best,” said National Guard Bureau Director of Manpower and Personnel Brig. Gen. Marianne Watson in a letter to the adjutant general of Florida.

“She is a role model to Victim Advocates and other SARCs in your state by promoting the SAPR program as a trusted resource for victims to come to for assistance.  She’s taken a leadership role as a member of the Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Advisory Council (SAPRAC) and as such, has been a source of information and guidance to other state SARCs.  She is very deserving of this award, both as a leader and a compassionate source of comfort for survivors of sexual assault who need someone to trust again.”