US Surgeon General Announces National Strategy for Suicide Prevention

The U.S. Surgeon General, Vice Adm. Regina M. Benjamin and the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention have teamed up on a national strategy to guide suicide prevention efforts in the United States over the next ten years. The plan highlights four directions with various goals and objectives meant to prevent suicide.

The Surgeon General recognizes that suicide is a serious public health issue that causes deep pain for victims and for those left behind. The new strategy outlines four strategic directions aimed at prevention:

 ■Create supportive environments that promote healthy and empowered individuals, families and communities

 ■Enhance clinical and community preventive services

 ■Promote the availability of timely treatment and support services

 ■Improve suicide prevention surveillance collection, research and evaluation

The strategy seeks to change the way the way suicide is spoken about and to reduce stigmas associated with depression and other mental health issues. The partnership has released a public service announcement to highlight the role we can all play in preventing suicides.

If you are struggling with suicidal thoughts, or know someone who is, call the National Veterans/Military Crisis Line at (800) 273-8255 (press 1).

Read more about suicide prevention awareness on health.mil.

Navy’s YouTube Video Warns Against ‘Spice’ Drug

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON – A new YouTube video developed by the Navy warns service members about the synthetic marijuana known as spice, and how use of the designer drug can negatively impact their health and military careers.

Every military service bans the use of spice, which is comprised of organic leaves coated with synthetic chemicals. Spice is marketed as a safe way to get high while avoiding detection during drug tests.

Officials emphasized in the video that both spice selling points are false.

“The damage these drugs do to your mind, body and career is permanent,” said Navy Rear Adm. Michael H. Anderson, medical officer to the Marine Corps. “It’s not legal. It’s not healthy. It’s not worth it.”

The Drug Enforcement Administration issued a decision in March making spice illegal nationwide for at least a year. According to the DEA’s website, the agency took the action as an emergency measure in light of the alarming number of reports about spice-type substances it received from poison control centers, hospitals and law enforcement agencies.

Secretary of the Army John M. McHugh sent a memo to the Army community in February prohibiting the use and possession of synthetic cannabis and other substitutes for THC -- shorthand for tetrahydrocannabinol -- the substance in marijuana that causes a “high.”

Air Force officials released guidance in June 2010 banning the use or possession of spice. The new language was incorporated in Air Force Instruction 44-121 that governs the Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention and Treatment Program.

Spice and other designer drugs also fall under Navy and Marine Corps zero tolerance policies.

Vice Adm. Adam M. Robinson, Jr., the Navy’s surgeon general and chief of the service’s Bureau of Medicine and Surgery, emphasized that abstinence isn’t enough to confront the spice problem. Like those who use, possess or distribute spice, anyone who observes these practices and doesn’t report them can be charged with violating the Navy’s policies as well.

“It is not good enough to simply police our own actions with regards to spice and other designer drugs,” he said. “These drugs are dangerous, and we learn more about their damaging effects each day. It is essential that every sailor and Marine be looking out for their colleagues to prevent injury to their health and their careers.”

The military services have the authority to prosecute violators under the Uniform Code of Military Justice.

The forensic toxicology division within the Office of the Armed Forces Medical Examiner tests for spice and other designer drugs at the request of the services. The challenge, explained spokesman Paul Stone, is that with so many different formulas, and new compositions introduced regularly, it’s difficult for testers to keep ahead of the new formulas.

Robinson emphasized that commanding officers don’t need a positive urinalysis to begin the process of removing violators from military service.

Anderson reiterated the point in the YouTube video.

“Because this is a moving target and some chemicals will not show up in routine testing, commanding officers do not need a positive urinalysis to begin administrative separation,” he said.

Like other synthetic drugs including “K2” and “Blaze,” spice is developed using chemicals not intended for human consumption, the video notes. The Food and Drug Administration doesn’t regulate these substances, which means they aren’t subject to oversight during the manufacturing process.

Little is known about the toxicology and safety of designer drugs, officials said. However, they noted side effects such as elevated heart rates and blood pressure, breathing problems, abdominal pain, seizures, extreme anxiety and other emotional problems.

In the most extreme situations, spice has been linked to heart attacks, psychosis and suicides, officials said.

Airlines Revise Policies for Troops’ Checked Baggage

By Donna Miles

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, June 9, 2011 – Military members traveling on orders on several major U.S. air carriers can check four, and in some cases five, bags without charge based on new policies the airlines instituted in recent days.

Delta Air Lines, American Airlines, United Airlines and Continental Airlines announced the new policies after Army reservists returning from Afghanistan had to pay more than $2,800 to cover the costs of their fourth checked bags on a Delta flight. Two members of the unit en route to Fort Polk, La., complained of their plight on a YouTube video that went viral.

Delta apologized for the situation and is working with the soldiers individually “to make this situation right for each of them,” a Delta spokeswoman said. “We regret that this experience caused these soldiers to feel anything but welcome on their return home,” she said. “We honor their service and are grateful for the sacrifices of our military service members and their families.”

Delta’s new policy allows U.S. servicemembers traveling on orders to check up to four bags in economy class and five bags in first and business class at no charge, she said. Each bag can weigh up to 70 pounds and measure up to 80 linear inches.

Due to weight and space constraints, travelers on Delta Connection carriers, regardless of their seating class, can check up to four bags without charge.

“We hope these changes to our policies reflect the true respect we hold for our servicemen and women and again demonstrate our appreciation as both a company and as individuals who benefit from the freedom our troops defend,” the spokeswoman said.

Other airlines are following Delta’s lead.

American Airlines is in the process of increasing its baggage policy for military members to check five bags without cost, spokesman Tim Smith reported. “Full implementation of that policy, and further details, should be completed in the next few days,” he said.

One of the checked bags can weigh up to 100 pounds and measure up to 26 linear inches, but others are subject to the regular 50-pound, 62-linear-inch restrictions.

The previous American policy allowed servicemembers to check three bags without cost. “But given the potential confusion, with different military units carrying different amounts of bags depending on their mission, we have elected to proceed with our five-free-bag limit,” Smith said. “We think it just makes good sense and eliminates possible confusion.”

The new policy will apply whether the military members are traveling on official orders or on personal travel, Smith said.

United Airlines and Continental Airlines, which merged last fall, also announced that they will now waive the fee for military personnel traveling on orders to check a fourth bag.

The decision was made, according to spokeswoman Christen David, “in recognition of their sacrifice and service to our country.”

Southwest Airlines has no limit on the number of checked bags it will accept at no cost for military members on permanent-change-of-station orders, spokesman Chris Mainz reported. The only condition is that none of the bags exceeds 100 pounds or 80 inches.

However, beyond its two-free-bag policy for all Southwest Airlines passengers, Southwest has no specific policies for other servicemembers traveling on official orders, including for deployments, he said.  

Servicemembers traveling for official business, including deployments, are entitled to receive full reimbursement for reasonable, authorized excess baggage fees, defense officials said.

Department Takes Steps to Ensure DoD Computer Networks Available for Operations

To ensure DoD networks are available for combat operations and critical support activities, the Department issued a directive May 14 that prohibits DoD computers from accessing specific recreational web sites. The measure preserves military bandwidth for operational missions and enhances DoD computer network security.

The selection of these particular sites was based on the volume of traffic moving from official DoD networks to the Internet. The sites include: YouTube; 1.fm; Pandora; MySpace; PhotoBucket; Live365; hi5; Metacafe; MTV; ifilm.com; Blackplanet; stupidvideos; and filecabi. Additional sites may be added in the future as part of ongoing efforts to ensure DoD networks have sufficient throughput available to conduct operational and supporting missions as well as enhance DoD network security.

This directive does not prohibit any individual, including DoD personnel or their families, from posting to or accessing these sites from personal or commercial network providers; it only restricts the use of DoD computer network resources to access these sites.

In Iraq and Afghanistan, many of these sites as well as others have been blocked by DoD for more than two years, some for as long as four years. Consequently, this directive does not prevent deployed DoD personnel from communicating with family members or loved ones. There are a wide variety of commercial communication services such as e-mail, telephone calls and video teleconferencing at many locations in Southwest Asia. In addition, the Army Knowledge Online/Defense Knowledge Online network is available to military members and their families providing a rich information sharing environment, including email, file sharing (pictures, videos, and documents), discussion forums (blogging), instant messaging chatrooms, and video messaging.

Commercial Internet services are also provided by DoD Morale, Welfare, and Recreation (MWR) facilities, which are widely available throughout Iraq and Afghanistan and are not affected by this directive. Deployed personnel can access recreational Internet web sites from Internet cafes and other facilities in many locations around the world. These alternative sites do not rely on military bandwidth.

Article sponsored by Criminal Justice online leadership; and, law enforcement personnel who have written books.

Coalition Servicemembers Reach Out to America via YouTube

By Carmen L. Gleason
American Forces Press Service

March 14, 2007 – Coalition military officials in Iraq are hoping to reach out to younger, broader audiences by posting clips of servicemembers in action on a popular video-sharing Web site. Clips of combat and support operations have been posted to the YouTube Web site in an effort to inform Americans of the successes of U.S. and Iraqi soldiers in Iraq, Army Maj. Gen. William Caldwell, Multinational Force Iraq spokesman, said during a phone interview today.

"How do we reach out to those in mid-town America who don't know someone serving here? How do they find out what's going on?" Caldwell asked. "One thing people don't know is what's really going on over here on a daily basis."

The initiative first came about when soldiers began brainstorming about how to reach out and share stories of what's happening in Iraq with a greater number of people. The group determined that the user-generated Web site would be a perfect venue for the more visually oriented, younger American audience.

"We want the American public, from an unfiltered vantage point, to be able to see what coalition forces and Iraqi security forces are doing here in Iraq," he said.

Mechanisms are in place so video clips can quickly and accurately be posted to the Web site, while still adhering to operational security requirements, Caldwell said.

Since the multi-national force began the initiative on March 7, six videos have been posted, resulting in thousands of viewings.

The most popular, with more than 2,000 views, is a Jan. 24 clip from Operation Tomahawk Strike 11. The video shows U.S. Army soldiers from the 2nd Infantry Division alongside soldiers from the 6th Iraqi Army Division engaging insurgents from a high-rise building during a series of targeted raids.

Clips also have been posted showing footage from an unmanned aerial vehicle and a documentary-like essay on the discovery and destruction of a factory making vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices.

In addition to posting videos on the YouTube site, a "Share our Story" tab has been established on the Multinational Force Iraq Web site, www.mnf-iraq.com, filled with videos, still photos and narratives of the men and women in uniform stationed there.

"(The link tells) what they're doing over here to serve our country, support the government of Iraq and support the Iraqi people as we try to bring greater security and stability and self-governance to this nation," the general said.

This article was sponsored by criminal justice online; and, police and military personnel who have authored books.