2016’s VA/VVA of the year

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Emily Kenney
  • 49th Wing Public Affairs

Two of Holloman’s Victim Advocates took home Air Combat Command-level awards, announced late February, at Holloman Air Force Base, N.M.

Staff Sgt. Keisha Hill, a 49th Maintenance Squadron munitions support equipment supervisor, and Jennifer Childers-Ansell, a Sexual Assault Prevention and Response VA were recognized as ACC’s 2016 Volunteer VA and VA of the year.

Hill was recognized for her efforts in standing up the Sexual Assault Prevention and Response program while deployed to Kandahar, Afghanistan.

Though she deployed as an Ammo troop, Hill immediately recognized the Kandahar’s need for a local VA.

“Our [Sexual Assault Response Counselor] was located at Bagram and she was responsible for the whole [Area of Responsibility],” said Hill. “So, if anything did happen on base they had to wait for the SARC to get there or they wouldn’t have anyone to talk to. While I was there, I got us a phone, built a continuity book with the names of the other SARCs in the AOR and kind of rebuilt the program.”

Childers-Ansell was recognized for her crisis intervention skills, community outreach and support services.

Some of her primary duties include interacting with clients, managing the VVAs and creating the VA on-call schedule.

“The [Department of Defense] implemented the program in 2005 and I was working at the Airman and Family Readiness Center,” Childers-Ansell said. “A year later, when Holloman implemented the program, I started volunteering with it. Then the SAPR office stood up and my position became available and I’ve been doing it ever since – hard to believe it’s been 11 years. I love and hate my job. I love helping people, but I hate the reason.”

If there’s one thing these two women have in common it’s their complete selflessness.

“When I found out about these awards, I was more excited for Keisha than I was for me,” Childers-Ansell said. “I just do my job and fly under the radar. She went above and beyond and she really deserves this award.”

Hill said she became a VA to help victims and make a traumatic experience less stressful.

“We’re only there to help the victim, and the best part to not be part of the problem is to be part of the solution,” said Hill. “Victims have to go through so much. They’ve gone through a horrible experience, then have to try and figure out the legal and medical systems – they have to go through all these horribly uncomfortable interviews. Being a victim advocate means I can just be a hand to hold and help that person through it.”