Several options available for combating suicide in the ranks

Wisconsin National Guard Public Affairs Office

Suicide by service members is a limited but difficult threat to engage and defeat - but not impossible.

"I really believe, if there is a glimmer of hope, that someone considering suicide can be saved," said Staff Sgt. Dana Cowell, the Wisconsin National Guard's Suicide Prevention Program manager.

Part of keeping that hope alive is to kindle the understanding that the person contemplating suicide is not alone. The Department of Defense theme for this year's Suicide Prevention Awareness Month is "Stand By Them" - a prompt to get involved when a friend or loved one seems distressed.

Jacqueline Garrick, acting director of the Defense Suicide Prevention Office, said she encourages military family members concerned about a loved one's state of mind to contact commands, chaplains' offices, community services, or any other means of help they can reach.

"One of the key features that we're working on right now is with the Department of Veterans Affairs," she said. "For several years, they have been working on the Veteran's Crisis Line, and we have been working with them to rebrand [it] as the Military Crisis Line so that our men and women in uniform know that the Military Crisis Line - the '1-800-273-TALK(8255) number, press 1 if you're military' - is for them as well."

Marine Corps Sgt. Maj. Bryan B. Battaglia - senior enlisted advisor to Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff - said service members, family members and veterans in need of assistance, either for themselves or for a loved one, can call the number day or night to speak to someone.

"That someone, who will answer will be a medical health official ... with the background and expertise to make some immediate assessments," he said. "That phone call has complete confidentiality."

Cowell said one of the first courses of action the Wisconsin National Guard follows is to determine the service member's veteran status. Those who have deployed overseas are connected with resources such as the Vet Centers or VA hospitals.

"First, we call ahead to the VA to let them know that a service member is coming in, so they can be there to greet them," she said. "We usually provide an escort - we want a warm handoff so they know they're never alone."

Cowell acknowledged that there are fewer services for non-veteran service members.

"We really rely on local law enforcement, local hospitals and emergency rooms," she said. Other available resources include Bob Evans, the Wisconsin National Guard's resident director of psychological health, and Military Family Life Consultants such as Nan Gardner and Ruth Price.

Army Chief of Staff Gen. Ray Odierno characterized suicide among service members as one aspect of a range of health-of-the-force issues, during a Sept. 10 address at the 134th National Guard Association of the United States General Conference in Reno, Nev.

"The most important thing is about creating an environment, a culture, where people feel comfortable, [and] can come forward and get the help that they need," Odierno said. He also cited screening people before, during and after deployments as one of a plethora of programs aimed at helping service members.

"These problems are not self-correcting," said Gen. Frank Grass, chief of the National Guard Bureau, on Sept. 11. "They will not just go away. They require the collective action of leaders across the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs and the private sector."

Garrick acknowledged there is a common belief among military members that seeking help for mental health issues can damage their careers.

"Not seeking help is going to harm your career even more," she said. "So even if you have to take a medication, or you can't deploy, or you have to go for further testing, ... there are benefits to treatment. Treatment works."

Mental health support "that we know works" is available across the services through military treatment facilities, community mental health services and chaplains' offices, Garrick said.

"That will benefit your career in the long run," she added. "And it will benefit your life in the long run, because this isn't just about your military career - it's about your family well-being, it's about your safety, and it's about what your long-term plan is for your future."

Cowell said that relationship issues, legal or financial problems remain among the most significant stressors that can lead to thoughts of suicide. Evans explained that, in his experience, suicides generally result from two main factors - hopelessness and personal humiliation.

"Usually if a person is discovered with suicidal ideation, they have not yet reached a decision to kill themselves and are at some level accessible to intervention," Evans said. He develops an intervention strategy related to the issues behind the suicidal thoughts. For example, if the issue is a failed relationship he determines how to help the individual understand the reasons behind the breakup and how to more objectively evaluate why it happened.

"Engaging service members about dealing with suicidal ideation really results in having a basic understanding to what is driving this ideation, and displaying alternatives that the service member will view as viable," Evans said.

"I think the first key factor is to understand the signs and symptoms of suicide, and not to be afraid to ask the question," Garrick said. "It's a myth that if you ask somebody, 'Are you feeling suicidal?' that you'll put a thought in their head. And that's just not going to happen. If somebody's really in distress, … the first thing we want people to know to do is ask the questions, 'Do you feel like you could hurt yourself,' 'Do you have a plan?,' and 'How can I help [you through this crisis]?'"

Cowell said Wisconsin National Guard members can access a Risk Reduction and Resilience Library on the Wisconsin National Guard portal (internal network) for additional resources on identification and intervention.

Sgt. 1st Class Jim Greenhill of the National Guard Bureau, and Karen Parrish and Claudette Roulo of American Forces Press Service contributed to this report.