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About Aaron Stone
18 Winters – Shattering the silence
I am a retired Combat Medic in the United States Army and I have completed multiple tours in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Bosnia; none of those experiences affected me as much as the trauma I suffered at age 15 at the hands of a male teacher who methodically groomed and raped me. I choose the word “rape” deliberately, because it conveys the reality of that man’s actions so many years ago.
For over 17 years, 18 winters, I became a silent sufferer of depression and PTSD. The cost of keeping that shameful secret caught up with me in 2010 through a nervous breakdown. Thankfully, I finally realized I needed help and, for the first time in my life, I told my story.
it was an act of liberation.
Over the last eight years I have spoken over 100 times to numerous military organizations across the U.S., Germany, and South Korea spreading my message of pain, redemption, and hope. My goal is to be an inspiration for those who may be suffering through the same mental anguish as I once did. I reassure survivors that sexual assault is never their fault, they are never alone, and help is here.
With social stigmas and victim blaming, most male victims who never report a sexual assault. Public awareness and education of male-on-male sexual violence and the horrifying impact it can have on one’s life must increase.
I continue to share my story both as an advocate, and as an inspirational speaker, to encourage survivors to speak up, seek help, and take that first step towards peace and healing.
Speak
when i am speaking…
I help rape survivors overcome their hidden shame and organizations develop a culture of moral courage, so victims can rise above society’s toxic biases and mental models.
Listen
Duty-Bound is a podcast produced by Glass Soldier that seeks to amplify the voices of activist, change-makers, and local leaders who are fighting to change the culture of reporting in the American Armed Forces today. Hosted by Diandra Poe, Duty-Bound taps into the issues and topics that matter to service members around the world and provides a unique perspective on how we can prevent and eliminate sexual assault among our ranks.
Dear Katie is the podcast of
Katie Koestner
, who appeared on the cover of TIME Magazine as a victim of date rape. She speaks with survivors of sexual assault, rape, and abuse about what they went through and how it impacted their lives. She is joined by co-host Claire Kaplan, Ph.D., a victim advocate, educator, and activist.
In the Media
“If this sergeant major can get up there and speak to people about this, then maybe that young private that was sitting in the front row can say, ‘You know what? If he can do it, so can I.’
” If I can help just that one person, I’m happy,” Stone said.
Herald/Review,
Article
From the Fort Carson Mountaineer:
The Fort Carson community gathered April 26, 2017, to culminate Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month with a “Take Back the Night” event at the William “Bill” Reed Special Events Center.
…
“I noticed that there were usually only females talking about their experiences, but no males,” Stone said. “In reality, while females report more, more men are sexually assaulted — in society it is one in six men, and in the military it is one in five men.
The Army SHARP Academy (ASA) trains and educates the Sexual Assault Response Coordinators (SARCs), Victim Advocates (VAs), SHARP Trainers, and Program Managers; and as the Army SHARP Training Proponent is responsible for Army wide SHARP leader development, education and training.
In this
video, SGM Stone speaks to continue to spread his personal experience in order to continue his service to the Army and fellow survivors.
SHARP Academy Professional Forum,
SGM Aaron Stone – Shattering the Silence
In the fall of 2017 Aaron gave a TEDx Talk in San Antonio, Texas:
Male-on-male sexual assaults are more prominent than we would like to admit, yet it remains taboo within our society. Americans expect their men to be the aggressors or initiators in a sexual relationship, which is why they are afraid to admit to others they have been sexually assaulted. Male rape survivors should be able to express their true emotions and seek the help they desperately need, physically and mentally, without feeling shame or branded as weak.
TEDxSanAntonio,
YouTube
One in six males have been sexually assaulted before the age 18; one in four females are sexually assaulted before age 18.
Command Sgt. Maj. Aaron Stone addressed these statistics in his keynote address during the annual U.S. Army Sexual Harassment/ Assault Response & Prevention, or SHARP, Expo…
SHARP Expo,
Article
…Stone stresses that it’s not a sign of weakness to seek help and that a victim is not to blame for what happened. “This is about changing the culture, starting a new paradigm, where Soldiers who have been victimized can get the help they need,” he said. “I talk about what happened to me because I want to get it out from the shadows and to give victims the courage to seek help.”
US Army,
Article
