Participants of the SAAPM Amazing Race gather around with their teams prior to the start of the event at Fort George G. Meade on April 28, 2023. This is the first time Fort Meade has held the Amazing Race since 2019, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. (U.S. Army Photo by Chuck Yang)

By PFC Elyssa Campos, Fort Meade Public Affairs

FORT GEORGE G. MEADE, Md. (April 28, 2023) U.S. Army Garrison Fort George G. Meade and the 780th Military Intelligence Brigade joined forces to host a Joint Service Amazing Race for Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month at the McGlachlin Parade Field.

The first race since 2019 prior to the COVID pandemic, Amazing Race is organized to promote sexual assault services, support workplace and community efforts to prevent interpersonal abuse, and demonstrate victim support.

The Amazing Race event is a unique and engaging way to raise awareness for sexual assault prevention, as participants completed challenges highlighting important sexual assault prevention and support measures. Participants from various units and services on the installation, including Kimbrough Ambulatory Care Center, 704th Military Intelligence Brigade and 241st Military Police/2nd Military Working Dog Detachment, gathered to compete in the event.

Fort George G. Meade Garrison Commander, Col. Michael A. Sapp, emphasized the importance of the event during his opening remarks to the participants.

“We will not accept sexual violence. We won’t accept it in our forces. We won’t accept it in our workplaces, and we won’t accept it on the installation, and we shouldn’t accept it in society,” said Sapp. “But we [have to] start somewhere and that somewhere starts with all of us that are here today.”

The SAAPM Amazing Race offered the chance to draw attention to the initiatives being undertaken by the Department of Defense and the individual military services to combat sexual assault and harassment and encourage prevention training and education to create a ready and resilient force.