Episode 65: M.E. Sam Samplonius
Guest Biography
M.E. Sam Samplonius has over 40 years of CAF Reserve Force service and is a Military Sexual Trauma (MST) survivor. Like many other survivors, her first assault happened during her Basic Recruit training when she was 17 years old.
Sam was an active member of IJ700 since 2015 when she became involved in the Hands Project and maintained the IJ700 Instagram account for inspirational messages. At that time she felt she had dealt with her multiple sexual assaults and constant sexual harassment well, and was enjoying a successful Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) career happily married to a Regular Force CAF spouse. However in 2016 she was again a victim of MST that was so traumatizing that it caused the loss of her full-time military position. The mental and physical trauma of this incident also led to the breakdown of her marriage as she tried to cope with the added release of unresolved previous MST, depression and hypervigilance.
Diagnosed with complex PTSD in 2018, through regular therapy Sam has taken on the challenge of dealing with the sexual and gender harassment she has experienced, and the military sexual trauma inflicted from domestic violence, kidnapping and unlawful confinement incidents. She finds helping others is one her best healing practices.
As a Reservist, Sam maintained a federal Public Service career concurrently while serving in the CAF. While her career was in Materiel Management, she also volunteered for many workplace initiatives relating to Employee Wellness and Diversity, gaining extensive experience in Joint Occupational Health & Safety program development as a Master Trainer and Union Shop Steward. For ten years she co-facilitated for the Treasury Board JLP Anti-Harassment course for Managers. Collaboration not confrontation has been a personal mantra stemming from her Union Local Executive days.
As a Public Servant, Sam sought out many opportunities for full-time CAF contracts on regional and national projects that made full use of her repertoire of skills and experience in training development and facilitation, conflict management, policy review, ethics and diversity.
In May 2021 when IJ700 disbanded, Sam agreed to join Dr. Lori Buchart in creating a new informal peer support group to ensure MST survivors would still have a safe and secure place to go for peer support and healing resources. Through discussions they found a shared passion and professional experience in promoting and facilitating positive organizational change that has created an amazing synergy for influencing culture change and the creation of It’s Not Just 700.
Now retired from the Public Service and facing a medical release from the CAF, Sam will be increasing her work in the area of CAF Veteran advocacy that she began in 2007. In addition to volunteering as the Co-Chairperson with INJ700, she also volunteers as a Senior Advisor with the Canadian Military Sexual Trauma Community of Practice, and an Advisor for the Centre of Excellence on PTSD.
