Department of the Army Civilians have new protections in place

The safety and well-being of all Department of the Army Civilians, or DAC’s, is at the forefront of a policy unveiled Friday, which now allows them to receive Army Sexual Harassment/Assault Response and Prevention services. The new policy is another example of the Army’s commitment to eliminate harmful behaviors, like sexual assault, from its workforce, which impact all aspects of readiness including unit cohesion, trust, and good order and discipline. In the past, only Department of the Army civilians working overseas or in a deployed environment qualified for limited SHARP services. The only exception was if DAC’s were also dependents. The latest policy opens the door for DAC’s to receive SHARP services, whether appropriated or non-appropriated civilians, regardless of where they are in the world. However, despite not including contractors or interns, those individuals can still see a sexual assault response coordinator to ask questions about finding resources without making a report.