No Result
View All Results
Reserve & National Guard
SUBSCRIBE FREE
No Result
View All Results
Reserve & National Guard
SUBSCRIBE FREE
Reserve & National Guard

Units experimenting with pilot programs to address suicide

Stephen Ruiz
by Stephen Ruiz
November 18, 2020
Air Force Col. David Johnson, commander of the 121st Air Refueling Wing, speaks to Airmen about suicide prevention during a "resilience tactical pause' day at Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base in Columbus, Ohio, Sept. 14, 2019. The National Guard has launched or participated in suicide prevention initiatives throughout 2019 amid a recent Department of Defense report that underscores the significant challenges the Guard faces in suicide prevention. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Dustin West)

Air Force Col. David Johnson, commander of the 121st Air Refueling Wing, speaks to Airmen about suicide prevention during a "resilience tactical pause' day at Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base in Columbus, Ohio, Sept. 14, 2019. The National Guard has launched or participated in suicide prevention initiatives throughout 2019 amid a recent Department of Defense report that underscores the significant challenges the Guard faces in suicide prevention. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Dustin West)

Seventy-seven National Guard members have died of suicide this year as of October, the month that the second annual Department of Defense Suicide Report was released. 

According to the report, 498 total service members died of suicide, including 89 National Guard members, in 2019. Since 2014, the rates of suicide have increased among active-duty members but have stayed consistent for the reserves and National Guard, the report revealed. In 2019, the suicide rate in the National Guard was 20.3 per 100,000, down from 30.8 per 100,000 two years ago, said Maj. Gen. Dawne Deskins, deputy director of the Air National Guard.  

Nearly 450,000 people comprise the National Guard this year.  

“I personally am uncomfortable talking about rates, because these are our people,’’ Deskins said. “These are our members of the National Guard, and the National Guard is a family. So when we lose someone, we’ve lost a coworker. We’ve lost a family member. We’ve lost a friend.’’  

Army Sgt. Rebecca Landry and Spc. Asia Jones highlight the importance of suicide prevention and awareness at Camp Taji, Iraq, June 5, 2019. The National Guard has launched or participated in suicide prevention initiatives throughout 2019 amid a recent Department of Defense report that underscores the significant challenges the Guard faces in suicide prevention. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Sgt. Roger Jackson)

The Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress at the Uniformed Services University in Bethesda, Maryland, is assessing how the coronavirus has affected the New York National Guard, U.S. Public Health Service Capt. Matt Kleiman said.  

“The time to do that is right now,’’ Kleiman said. “You can’t wait until it’s over. All of the things that our population deals with in this COVID environment that we’re in, we believe has an impact, but we want to see exactly what that impact is.’’ 

Kleiman is the director of the National Guard Warrior Resilience and Fitness division, which was formed last summer to develop programs that view health holistically. The number of its so-called pilot programs doubled from 11 to 22 this year and addresses mental-health issues through a variety of approaches. 

For example, the New Mexico National Guard is screening for risk factors, including early childhood trauma, when men and women enter their unit. In South Carolina, “one-stop shops’’ for health and wellness have been instituted, while the Utah National Guard has developed a mobile app to aid in crisis intervention. The Vermont National Guard is testing a device that potentially could treat traumatic brain injuries and PTSD through magnetic e-resonance therapy. 

“What we’re hoping to do is establish a two- to three-year cycle for these pilots to test and then expand the ones [to other states] that seem to be promising,’’ Kleiman said.  

“A big part of our strategy has been putting directors of psychological health at our wings and our states, so these are full-time resources that — most of them are clinical social workers or psychologists — and they work with a command. They also work within that unit to disseminate information, make referrals when there is an event that occurs, whether it’s a suicide or a sexual assault or some adverse action.’’  

READ: Guard leaders talk pandemic, readiness, career progression

The National Guard has seen a 14% increase, year over year, in members accessing mobile vet-center support during weekends at the end of the 2019 fiscal year, stats from the National Guard Bureau showed. Other vet centers have seen a 44% spike in new members accessing their services. More than 3,600 National Guard members have been referred to vet centers this fiscal year, bureau data showed.  

At least 700 civilian providers have been trained in specific treatment protocols for working with National Guard personnel, the bureau said. 

“Anything that we do that makes behavioral health more about the natural rhythm, just something that’s very natural to do, is certainly something that we want to encourage,’’ Deskins said. 

And if that happens, one life — hopefully more — can be saved.  

“I’m pretty confident that if we keep doing it like we’re doing it, … over time, we would see a positive impact,’’ Kleiman said. 

Read comments
Tags: Department of Defense Suicide ReportMaj. Gen. Dawne DeskinsMental HealthNational Guardsuicide preventionUtah National GuardVermont National Guard
Stephen Ruiz

Stephen Ruiz

Stephen Ruiz, 53, worked in the newspaper industry for more than three decades. During the past 21 years, he worked for the Orlando Sentinel as a writer, copy editor and high school editor in the sports department. He also served as an online producer. Stephen graduated from Louisiana State University with a bachelor's degree in journalism and enjoys reading, cooking and exercising. He has completed three marathons.

Related Posts

Country music icon enlists, wants to inspire next generation of recruits

by Jessica Manfre
3 weeks ago
0
Staff Sgt. Craig Morgan took the oath of enlistment on the stage of the Grand Ole Opry. CREDIT: © Grand Ole Opry, photos by Chris Hollo

Army veteran and country music star Craig Morgan surprised an audience this summer by taking the oath of enlistment during...

Read more

Military provides disaster relief assistance on Maui

by AmeriForce Exclusive
1 month ago
0
disaster relief

The Defense Department continues to support disaster relief efforts related to the devastating wildfire on Maui, Hawaii.

Read more

Army Reserve education benefits collapse halts fall semester enrollments

by Military.com
2 months ago
0
U.S. Army Reserve soldier fires a M240B automatic machine gun during a live fire range qualification on Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey, July 18, 2023. Photo by Spc. Britton Spencer

The Army Reserve ran out of money to cover tuition for its soldiers & is scrambling to reallocate money ahead of the...

Read more

EXCLUSIVE: Incoming Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps talks value of reserves, future of force

by Kari Williams
2 months ago
0
MARFORRES

Sgt. Maj. Carlos Ruiz never served in the MARFORRES, but jokingly hoped he would be confused for doing just that.

Read more

Army Guard medics with next-generation training apply skills to save the day

by National Guard
2 months ago
0
army guard medics

Army Guard medics in South Carolina receive next-generation training, which has been applied in real-world situations to save the day.

Read more

‘Life-changing’ debt-relief extension act would continue assisting reserve component

by AmeriForce Exclusive
2 months ago
0
Debt relief

Guardsmen and reservists facing bankruptcy will continue to get a reprieve, should an extension to a debt relief act be...

Read more

Ads

Let's get social

The RNG Drill

News delivered directly to your inbox

Let's connect!

ABOUT US

  • OUR STORY
  • OUR TEAM
  • OUR WRITERS

MAGAZINE

  • GET PRINT
  • GET DIGITAL
  • GET THE NEWSLETTER

ADVERTISE

  • GET OUR MEDIA KIT
  • PUBLISHER’S STATEMENT

SUBMISSIONS

  • SUBMIT YOUR STORY

Never miss out on the latest stories.

© 2021 Reserve & National Guard by AmeriForce. Privacy Policy | Terms | Site by Swiss Commerce

Thank you for your interest in The Reserve & National Guard Magazine!

Thank you for your interest in The Reserve & National Guard Magazine!

No Result
View All Results
  • NEWS
  • YOUR CAREER
    • UNIT TRAINING
    • DEPLOYMENT
    • PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
    • RECRUITING & RETENTION
    • ENTREPRENEUR
    • TRANSITION
  • EDUCATION
  • MILITARY LIFE
    • MILITARY SPOUSES
    • MILITARY KIDS
    • PARENTING
  • OFF DUTY
    • ENTERTAINMENT
    • TRAVEL
  • HEALTH
    • FITNESS
    • MEDICINE
    • MENTAL HEALTH
  • SPORTS
  • OPINION
  • HISTORY
  • MONEY
    • PERSONAL FINANCE
    • BENEFITS
  • GET THE MAGAZINE
    • PRINT MAGAZINES
    • DIGITAL MAGAZINES
    • GET THE NEWSLETTER
  • ABOUT US
    • MEET OUR TEAM
    • OUR AUTHORS
    • ADVERTISE WITH US
    • SUBMIT YOUR STORY
    • PITCH US
    • CONTACT

© 2022 Reserve & National Guard by AmeriForce. Site by SCBW