May 19, 2020 , DOD News
The Defense Department has renamed its award recognizing
exceptional sexual assault response coordinators in honor of Elizabeth
"Liz" Blanc, who died in March after a long battle with cancer.
"Renaming this award is a small way to honor Liz's
immeasurable impact to the Department of Defense," Dr. Nathan Galbreath,
acting director of DOD's Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office, said.
"She tirelessly worked to assist victims of sexual assault, even up to a few
days before her passing. She was a consummate professional and one of the most
highly skilled advocates with whom I've ever worked."
Blanc, 39, graduated from Boston University with a
bachelor's degree in psychology and later received a master's degree in
psychology from Walden University. From there, she dedicated 15 years to the
sexual assault prevention and response field. Her service included supporting
sexual assault victims as a sexual assault response coordinator for the Navy
Department for nine years.
SARCs play a pivotal role in the department's sexual assault
prevention and response program. When any service member reports a sexual
assault, the SARC addresses the victim's immediate safety needs, connects the
victim to recovery-oriented resources and assigns a victim advocate to provide
advocacy and assistance throughout the medical, investigative and legal
processes.
Her legacy will live on with her family, the many survivors
she has helped, and the professionals in the field who strive to uphold the
same high standards of assistance and professionalism that she did."
Dr. Nathan Galbreath, acting director, DOD Sexual Assault
Prevention and Response Office
In addition, SARCs work closely with other installation
responders, train thousands of military members annually and help military
leaders improve their support of service members impacted by sexual assault.
In 2016, Blanc joined SAPRO as a program manager for the
Safe HelpLine program — the Defense Department's sole 24/7 anonymous hotline
for members of the DOD community affected by sexual assault. People who wish to
contact Safe Helpline can call 877-995-5247 or visit its website. In 2019,
Blanc became SAPRO's senior victim assistance advisor, overseeing all victim
assistance programs for the department.
"I have known Liz since she began at SAPRO in 2016, and
have always been impressed with her talent and her commitment. She was a
reflection of everything we stood for as an organization, and I can say there
will never be another that could fill her shoes. This department has lost such
an amazing soul," Dr. Elizabeth P. Van Winkle, executive director of DOD's
Office of Force Resiliency, observed in a message to colleagues upon learning
of Blanc's passing.
Blanc is survived by her husband and two young sons.
"While this award has been around for several years, it
takes on an even more special meaning now that it is named after Liz,"
Galbreath said. "Her legacy will live on with her family, the many
survivors she has helped, and the professionals in the field who strive to
uphold the same high standards of assistance and professionalism that she
did."
DOD has recognized six SARCs for this year's honor, now
known as the "Liz Blanc Exceptional SARC of the Year Award." The 2020
Liz Blanc Exceptional SARC of the Year are:
1
Air Force: 1st Lt. Sarah L. Halterman, 60th Air Mobility
Wing, Travis Air Force Base, California;
2
Army: Sgt. 1st Class Maria C. Rivera, I Corps & Joint
Base Lewis-McChord, Washington;
3
Coast Guard: Shannon Norenberg, U.S. Coast Guard Academy;
4
Navy: Raquel Hernandez, Naval Air Station Lemoore,
California;
5
Marine Corps: Shirley D. Stephens, Marine Corps
Installations Pacific, Marine Corps Base Camp Butler, Japan; and
6
National Guard Bureau: Jacquelyn E. Tellier 102nd
Intelligence Wing, Otis Air National Guard Base, Massachusetts.
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