It is "Suicide Awareness" something or other, day, week, month, or something, in the Military. That means Troops are called together to hear NCO's and Officers talk about suicide, how they shouldn't do it, how they should be on the lookout for those that might be thinking about, and how there is help available to those suffering mental health issues. In response, the most oft heard phrase (amongst those forced to attend), quietly, to each other is: "If I have to sit through one more suicide briefing, I'm going to kill myself."
The politicians elected in 2008, and the appointees selected in the aftermath, who made a big deal about rising suicide numbers in 2008 and before, are beginning to admit, they don't have a clue what to do about even higher suicide rates.
"In an interview with a North Carolina newspaper, Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta voiced concern over suicide rates throughout the military and acknowledged the complexity of the issue.The tragedy of suicide eludes "quick fixes," the secretary told Greg Barnes of the Fayetteville Observer." DoD press release, Amaani Lyle, 24 Sep 2012
I've been in those chairs. I can tell you that suicides persist, not for a lack of people being talked to about it. In fact, the current crop of politicians in the White House and Pentagon have increased the number of hours Troops get the talk, with an increasing number of suicides and attempts. And the fact remains that this is not a combat veteran problem. A large number of those suicides are enlistees with no combat service.
The first mistake these briefs make is that Senior Leaders, first line NCOs, and Privates get the same brief. The second mistake is that there are way too many briefs. Troops have tuned out.
It IS important that help is made available, and that Troops know where to find it. But telling people to pretend to care when they realize a Service member has become suicidal is NOT the answer. Leaders must instead have a genuine interest in their Troops every day of the year, because they are leaders, not managers. A Leader does not just order others to do things. A Leader is a part of that TEAM, that is making the decisions which shape that team.
DoD policies have broke down that Leader-Team relationship in an attempt to create managers.
After catastrophic events, people have a natural tendency to ask why, to ask how it could have been prevented. This can be counter-productive in many events. Not every event can be prevented. I have seen people destroy their own mental health trying to figure out what they did wrong, what they missed, what someone else was thinking in their last minutes of life. Sometimes it's just dumb luck. And when others are lost to violence, it is the decision of the person that pulled the trigger, not his neighbor, not his friend, and not the person that worked in the same office.
Sure, it sounds correct to say "One rape is too many," or "One suicide is too many," but the fact is that humanity can NEVER achieve zero incidents of either. While we must work to eliminate as many of both as possible, we must also realize that both will persist.
The military should instead reduce the number of briefs, and tailor those briefs to the level of leadership. A great deal of those hours should be replaced with NCODP and ODP, and training to be good Soldiers. It should be replaced with opportunities for team building, and no that doesn't mean "mandatory fun," but rather genuine events where Troops can enjoy themselves as a SMALL unit, at the team, squad, platoon, and at largest company levels. More senior leaders, Battalion and higher Commanders and Command Sergeants Major should then attend the lower level events, where they can actually spend quality time with Troops.
And yes, alcohol should be involved. Let the Troops relax and let their hair down, in civilian clothes. Leaders should then listen to what the Troops are saying, what the problems are, not preach to the Troops. It is amazing what leaders can learn, when they just listen, and learn who they are actually leading.
If the Military wants to stem the tide of rising suicides (up 25% since 2009), it needs to talk less about it, and work more towards genuine leadership. It needs the political appointees to stop telling the Military that it stands with the Troops, while seeking to cut their numbers, pay, and benefits.
Stumble It!
