Coalition of Sailors Against Destructive Decisions Great Lakes Helps Prevent Suicides

By Sue Krawczyk, Training Support Center Great Lakes Public Affairs

GREAT LAKES, Ill. (NNS) -- The Coalition of Sailors Against Destructive Decisions (CSADD), Great Lakes Chapter at Training Support Center (TSC), released a suicide prevention video on Facebook, Aug. 17, to help communicate a vital message in the Suicide Prevention Public Service Announcement Video Contest.

The goal of the contest is to promote awareness of suicide warning signs and bystander intervention from a Sailor's point of view.

The submissions must convey at least one of the two 2012 core suicide prevention program messages: "It's Okay to Speak Up When You're Down" and/or "Life is Worth Living."

The winning entry will be announced Sept. 28, to coincide with Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. The winning submission will be broadcast on Direct-to-Sailor Television and provided to the American Forces Network and Pentagon Channel.

"The message we're trying to get out with this video is to see a reaction to what certain people have," said Fire Control Technician Seaman Angus Heiman, president of CSADD, Great Lakes Chapter. "We want people to see the video and hopefully come out and talk about if they do have problems and, if their problems are hidden, this is finally going to be something that will show them, 'Hey, I have help available. I can go to people. I can talk to someone and they can help me get through my issues and problems.' We don't want people to keep hiding any more, this is what causes the trouble."

About 15 to 20 students spent about two weeks to create the 3-minute video. Helping with a large portion of its creation was Fire Control Technician 3rd Class Timothy C. Bradow, with the majority of the editing completed by Fire Control Technician 3rd Class Justin M. Jasinski. Assisting with the editing were Fire Control Technician Seaman Apprentice Jesse Shelton and Fire Control Technician Seaman Apprentice Joshua Angulo.

Chief Religious Program Specialist (SW/AW/FMF) Lawrence Pieper, suicide prevention coordinator for TSC and learning sites for the past three years, said there has not been a suicide at TSC in two years because of how proactive everyone is with one another.

"The reason why we haven't had one is because of Sailors looking after Sailors - peer-to-peer intervention," said Pieper. "That's what CSADD is about. It is truly about Sailors taking care of Sailors and making good corrective and right decisions."

Pieper hopes the video will remind all of this who come through the quarterdeck of the Navy, and hopefully the rest of the Navy.

"Suicide related behavior is a regular training topic for Sailors. Us old chiefs and officers that have been around for a while do not know a lot of the terminology or a lot of the words or triggers for today's Sailors. Some of the things that are normal indicators that we have been trained on are not normal indicators to these Sailors," said Pieper.

"The biggest thing is the emotion that it draws. That's what we're looking for out of this video," said Heiman. "Even with the first video we had there was emotion involved, then we went back and added more. It's about as top-notch perfect as we can get and everyone so far has said it's awesome."

Pieper believes the students are on point with their video because of their youthful motivation.

"It's fresh eyes - it's young men and women that's making this. They're not relying on someone who is 20 or 30 years into the military. I think the thing about CSADD that makes them so great is that they think so far outside the box. They're not put into the normal naval structure," said Pieper.

He hopes the command will be able to incorporate the video internally into their suicide program for the 14,000 students that come through annually and the 1,000+ staff members employed here.

"Suicide prevention is a hard topic to deal with, but if you reinforce the personal values of that individual to themselves that they are valuable to society, to their parents, to the organization, you will continually remind them of that," said Pieper. "One of the easiest things in the world to do is to say good morning because you never know - that may have been the best thing that happened to that person that day is that good morning."