Grace Under Pressure: A Chaplain Reflects on Suicide Prevention

By Dana McCullough, Health.mil Staff

“Warfighting first.  Be ready to fight and win today, while building the ability to win tomorrow.”  Navy Chief of Chaplains (Rear Adm.) Mark L. Tidd shared this creed in an interview with health.mil to underscore September’s nationwide focus on suicide prevention.

Tidd observed that the same tenets that guide decision-making among seamen of all ranks apply to achieving a state of spiritual and mental well-being.

However, the battlefield of the mind, unlike the combat environment, is a painfully private terrain for some service members.  Some of our country’s bravest men and women struggle with personal demons, perceived failures and seemingly unanswerable life questions that, in the end, leave them desperate.  This is where Tidd and others like him, working closely with service members, their loved ones and medical providers, can step in.

 

 “We’re there, available, and accessible,” Tidd said, adding, “That time becomes an opportunity to have those important conversations…ones that often lead to conversations with family members.”  With a combination of scholarship and humor, the Chaplain explained, “We call that deckplate ministry because we walk the deck plates of the ship.  I call it ‘redeemed loitering’.”

For many, chaplains are known for providing religious services.  Tidd stressed, “The opportunity to practice one’s faith is a readiness issue.  The provision of religious ministry, meeting people’s religious needs is key to helping them toward resiliency.”  He added that, “We [chaplains] care for all, regardless of religious commitment, faith or no commitment.”

Additionally, spiritual counselors can work in tandem with members of the medical community to weigh options for well-rounded approaches to healing.

Tidd characterized the chaplain/physician collaboration as a partnership with the fundamental goal of achieving overall good health for the service member.