Cadets urge survivors to ‘Take Back the Night’

The U.S. Air Force Academy Sexual Assault Prevention and Response table awaits cadets entering the Arnold Hall Ballroom for Take Back the Night Oct. 24, 2023. (U.S. Air Force photo by Trevor Cokley)

By Randy Roughton 
U.S. Air Force Academy Strategic Communications 

U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo.– About 200 U.S. Air Force Academy cadets, faculty and staff supported sexual assault survivors in taking control of their trauma at Take Back the Night in Arnold Hall Oct. 24, 2023.

Support and empowerment

Take Back the Night is the oldest worldwide stand against sexual violence, with the first event in the U.S. in 1973. The Academy last hosted the event in 2015. Organizers said they hoped that this year’s event provided a meaningful opportunity for survivors to share their stories in a supportive environment to promote healing, restoration and understanding, said Lisa Pokorny, Academy Sexual Assault Prevention and Response integrated prevention and response care branch chief.

Organizers hoped to achieve a supportive and empowered atmosphere at the Take Back the Night event, according to Pokorny.

Some helping agencies on hand were Sexual Assault Prevention and Response staff, a military and family life counselor, a chaplain, the Peak Performance Center, the Victims Council, the Family Advocacy Program and Go Team Therapy support dogs.

U.S. Air Force Academy teal rope cadets worked with the Academy Sexual Assault Prevention and Response staff in planning the Oct. 24, 2023, Take Back the Night sexual assault awareness event at Arnold Hall. (U.S. Air Force photo by Trevor Cokley)

Promoting ‘healing and understanding’

“Maintaining world-class standards extends beyond a cadet’s performance in training exercises, formations and inspections,” said Brig. Gen. Gavin Marks, Academy commandant of cadets. “It demands treating your fellow cadets with the respect and dignity they deserve. Hurting teammates hurts the team and is unacceptable. Nothing destroys a team’s performance faster than sexual harassment and violence.”

“Events like this promote healing and understanding by giving survivors an opportunity to share their experiences and helping others to begin to learn about what survivors have been through,” Marks said.

U.S. Air Force Academy Cadet 2nd Class Madisen Campbell emcees the Take Back the Night sexual assault awareness event in Arnold Hall Oct. 24, 2023. Teal represents the training and volunteerism the cadet has undergone to serve as a liaison to their peers seeking support around sexual assault and harassment. (U.S. Air Force photo by Trevor Cokley)

Being a good teammate

Cadets were encouraged to tell their own stories and support classmates who wished to share their experiences.

“Whether we are talking about one specific night, one specific event for a survivor or people who were assaulted for years, Take Back the Night was an opportunity to take back the power,” said Cadet 2nd Class Madisen Campbell, event cadet chairperson and emcee. “It was a chance for you to take back control over what was taken from you. You could sit here in silence and listen to other people share their stories or be the one standing on the stage sharing your story with the Cadet Wing. You have the power now.”

Sexual Assault Prevention and Response team members were happy cadets attended the event. Their participation embodies the Academy’s “cultural shift to support survivors, promote reporting and normalize utilizing helping agency resources,” Pokorny said.

U.S. Air Force Academy cadets and permanent-party active duty U.S. Air Force members view The Clothesline Project on display in Exemplar Hall throughout October. The Academy Sexual Assault Prevention and Response staff supported the Department of Faculty in hosting the Clothesline Project and the Oct. 24, 2023, Take Back the Night event to raise sexual assault awareness. (U.S. Air Force photo by Trevor Cokley)

The Clothesline Project

Apart from the Take Back the Night events, the Academy also sponsored The Clothesline Project that is on display throughout October in the Exemplar Hall Art Exhibit. The Clothesline Project brings awareness to the issue of violence through self-expression, Campbell said. This exhibit contains survivor-donated clothing items that share the message that no clothing indicates consent.

Campbell and fellow teal rope cadets worked with the Sexual Assault Prevention and Response team to gather artifacts that will be represented in the Art Gallery. The teal color represents the training and volunteerism the cadet has undergone to assist peers in dealing with sexual assault. The Academy has about 90 teal rope cadets.

Recurring event

Take Back the Night will likely become an annual or biannual event at the Academy. The event aligned with the Academy’s efforts toward a culture shift through initiatives such as the Let’s Be Clear campaign and Encouraged to Report, Campbell said.

Campbell said everyone knows sexual assault can happen, but there is a huge difference when people know the story or the person behind the statistics.

“I think that if we want to shift the culture, there has to be an empathetic component,” Campbell said. “When you are really listening, you are not listening to respond; you are listening to understand. That is exactly what this event is about.”

More than 200 cadets, faculty and staff attended the Take Back the Night sexual assault awareness event in Arnold Hall Oct. 24, 2023. (U.S. Air Force photo by Trevor Cokley)

See more photos of Take Back the Night and The Clothesline Project.