The theme for this year’s “Suicide Prevention Awareness Month” is “Improving our Soldiers and Families Health: A Healthy Force Combating High Risk Behaviors.” At the conclusion of this article, there are many resources/links.
Just returning back from North Carolina (Ft. Bragg), after spending a wonderful time with my daughter-in-law and grandson (3yrs) I was saddened (but not surprised) to learn of the difficulties and problems some of the soldiers experience while deployed. I can cite many articles about the deployment cycle and its’ affect on the military, it is worth mentioning however that difficulties such as depression, suicide, aggression (some of the symptoms of PTSD) aren’t necessarily exclusive to the ‘multi-deployed’, often, it can be ‘first time’ deployers. In fact, the military is studying the ‘mind set’ of the multi-deployed v. first or second timers to examine the element that helps them cope with extreme psychological pressures and extreme battle fatigue (both mental and physical).
My son is on his fourth deployment, a platoon sergeant (SFC) with approximately 70% ‘first time’ deployers. He is extremely proactive, carefully observing, listening and taking care of his men or any others who seek or need help. The NCO is almost always the first line of defense for troops who are experiencing hardships. I know my son has moved the earth and stars to intervene on the behalf of a trooper in trouble. He is also the same one who will allow the Private on duty with him to catch some ‘sleep’ during 24 hour CQ (Desk/phone duty in the company headquarters/on base) instead of the other way around because he remembers what it was like to be the ‘sleep-less’ private.
He asks much from his men but makes sure he gives them the training, tools and personal time they need to achieve the unit’s mission objectives and succeed as individuals. I once asked him when he became an NCO if he ever screamed at his men like some do (just because they can). He is a very ‘laid back person’, so his answer didn’t surprise me. In fact, over 8+ years I have only heard about him screaming (and ‘smoking’) a SPC (Specialist) during the week prior to deployment. Despite my son’s best efforts (deployment prep), I guess the trooper just thought certain things were optional. I doubt this trooper will think that way again. My daughter in law always says on deployment day, my son is the one running around while other senior NCOs are standing around with their families. She certainly knows how much his family means to him but she also understands how much it means for him to look after his ‘military’ family making sure they are prepared to go in every way possible. In some ways, this sets the tone for the deployment. After his last deployment (long & bloody), I asked about his Lt. Col. since my civilian impression of him was a very good one. He indeed agreed with my assessment saying the Lt. Col. was very much ‘by the book’ but he always took the time to explain ‘why’ they had to do certain things by the ‘book’. Quite literally it usually meant the difference between staying alive or being killed.
While in the process of completing this article, I read an excellent article “Going Beyond the Book Answer: How to Be a Better Leader, written by Specialist Ben Hutto. In the article, Spc Hutto writes:
“Army leadership, as I learned it for my promotion board, is the ability to influence others by providing purpose, direction and motivation in order to accomplish the mission and improve the organization.”
He talks about ‘leadership by the book’, and states how “the best NCOs are able to communicate the “purpose” behind a command or task no matter how mundane or difficult.
The NCO is considered the backbone and the ‘glue’ of today’s Army. I also believe a good NCO is sometimes the only thread a troubled soldier may feel he has left to hang on to. The skillful NCO is able to maintain the order and discipline necessary to accomplish difficult missions and manage a great number of people while finding the time and the way to tend to the ‘one’.
Reference: Army Well-being. Going Beyond the Book Answer: How to Be a Better Leader. Spc Ben Hutto. [Accessed 22 Sept 2009]..
Resources - Leadership:
Well-Being Leader Resources
- Army One Source
- Army Substance Abuse Program (ASCAP)
- Army Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Program
- Army Safety
- Equal Opportunity Employment and Civil Rights
- Army Legal Services
- Army Human Resources Command
- Office of the Chief of Chaplains
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Suicide Pre vention Awareness:
Improve readiness through the development and enhancement of the Army Suicide Prevention Program policies designed to minimize suicide behavior; thereby preserving mission effectiveness through individual readiness for Soldiers, their Families, and Department of the Army civilians.
- New! - "Shoulder to Shoulder: No Soldier Stands Alone", a Suicide Prevention video is available. (AKO Login)
- Army Suicide Prevention Stand Down and Chain Teach (AKO Login)
- New Suicide Prevention Training Scenarios documents in both PDF and PowerPoint formats.
- 2008 Army Posture Statement: Army Suicide Prevention Program
- Commanders Tool Kit for Soldiers and Leaders (22 APR 2008)
- Veterans Benefits by State **
- SMA Kenneth Preston Message on Suicide Prevention
- Mission: Suicide prevention -- Chiarelli: Skills key in dealing with stress
- Suicide Prevention Commander's Toolkit
- Army One Source: Army OneSource provides access to all Family programs and services, regardless of geographical location. This delivery system harnesses the resources that are already in place and uses personal contact and technology to improve on the delivery of service so that Families get support closest to where they live.
- Program Aims to Reduce Suicides
- Suicide Prevention Conference Addresses Mental Illness Stigma
- Army, National Institute of Mental Health Begin Suicide Study
- Suicide Prevention: The Army Continues to Make Forward Progress in Issues Involving Depression and Suicide for Soldiers (Video)
- Getting Help (Video)
- Army Observes National Suicide Prevention Week: Reinforces Theme of "Shoulder to Shoulder - No Soldier Stands Alone
- Suicide Prevention: No Soldier Stands Alone
- Devastating Effects of Suicide Hurt Many , Jun. 15, 2008
- Army Responds to Rising Suicide Rates, Jan. 31, 2008
- Army Releases Suicide Data, Promotes Prevention Programs
- Army G-1 Human Resources Policy - Suicide Prevention Mission
- A collection of useful material about suicide prevention from the US Army Center for Health Promotion and Preventive Medicine: Brochures, Help Cards, News Articles, and a Variety of Multimedia Resources on Suicide Prevention.
Source: US Army Medical Department. Army Behavioral Health. Suicide Prevention. http://www.behavioralhealth.army.mil/sprevention/index.html [Accessed 22Sept2009].
Additionally:
VA's Suicide Hot Line Begins Operations: VA's Suicide Hot Line: The toll-free hot line number is 1-800-273-TALK (8255). VA's hot line is staffed by mental health professionals and takes toll-free calls from across the country working closely with local VA mental-health providers to help callers.
VA’s Suicide Prevention Program Adds Chat Service: Called “Veterans Chat,” the new service enables Veterans, their families and friends to go online where they can anonymously chat with a trained VA counselor. If a “chatter” is determined to be in a crisis, the counselor can take immediate steps to transfer the person to the VA Suicide Prevention Hotline, where further counseling and referral services are provided and crisis intervention steps can be taken. Read More About Veterans Resources-Suicide
“The chat line is not intended to be a crisis response line,” said Dr. Janet Kemp, VA’s National Suicide Prevention Coordinator at the VA medical center in Canandaigua, N.Y., where VA’s trained counselors staff the chat line 24 hours a day, seven days a week. VA’s suicide prevention hotline is also staffed continuously.
Army Behavioral Health
Military OneSource
Real Warriors (**Great site!)
DCoE Outreach ChatCall in your questions to the Outreach Center at 866-966-1020 toll-free or send an e-mail inquiry to [email protected].
- Army G-1, Army Well Being Liaison Office - 1-800-833-6622
- Wounded Soldier and Family Hotline - 1-800-984-8523
- Emergency - 911
- www.armyfamiliesonline.org - 1-800-833-6622
- www.militaryonesource.com - 1-800-342-9647
- National Suicide Hotline - 1-800-SUICIDE
- www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org - 1-800-273-TALK (8255)
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