 April is Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month, an opportunity to raise awareness about sexual violence. We, the Superintendents of American Service Academies, are coming together to emphasize our ongoing collective commitment to prevent and combat sexual harassment and assault. Sexual assault and sexual harassment are harmful behaviors that erode trust and team cohesion. They negatively affect our mission readiness, both at our academies and throughout the armed forces. They go against our core values and have no place in our ranks, but unfortunately these behaviors still persist. More importantly, this is a human issue, and each incident of harmful, inappropriate, and unprofessional behavior represents a teammate or teammates deeply affected or hurt by it. Just one incident of sexual assault or harassment is one too many. Ultimately, this is about character. The mission of American Service Academies is to develop leaders of character. Doing that demands a culture of trust and character growth. An environment where every teammate is treated with dignity and respect. Throughout April, our respective academies are holding a variety of events to raise sexual assault awareness and prevention and highlight the many prevention support resources we have available. To better equip us in preventing these harmful behaviors and to let victims know they're not alone and help is available for them if they need it. But education and resources alone are not enough to prevent sexual violence. It also requires teamwork and action. All of us are working together to look out for our teammates. To speak up and step in when we see inappropriate and harmful behavior. To change the culture where dignity, respect, and trust is the norm. And to live and act in a way that America expects of its future leaders. So join us together. Together. Together. Together. Together as we step forward and act to prevent sexual assault and harassment.