Vanguard, DIVARTY chaplains ASIST leaders in preventing suicide

By Sgt. Bob YarbroughJanuary 13, 2015

Vanguard, DIVARTY chaplains ASIST leaders in preventing suicide
1 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Capt. J.D. Sims, left, chaplain for 1st Battalion, 76th Field Artillery Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division Artillery, and Capt. Joe Palermo, speak to soldiers from the Vanguard Brigade and DIVARTY during Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training, or ... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Vanguard, DIVARTY chaplains ASIST leaders in preventing suicide
2 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Staff Sgts. Kevin Sloggett (left) and Kevin Ayers, both platoon sergeants with 6th Squadron, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, play a scenario where Sloggett pretends to be suicidal and Ayers must use his ... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

FORT STEWART, Ga. - Leaders from 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, and 3rd Infantry Division Artillery, attended a two day course focused on suicide intervention, Jan. 7-8, at Fort Stewart's Marne Chapel.

Capt. Joe Palermo, chaplain for 3rd Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment, 4th IBCT, and Capt. J.D. Sims, chaplain for 1st Battalion, 76th Field Artillery Regiment, 3rd ID DIVARTY, led the Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training. ASIST is a course required for all leaders, platoon sergeant and higher in the Marne Division, designed to help leaders identify and work through potentially life threatening behaviors in their soldiers.

"It's a bit like [the combat lifesaver course] for those who are having suicidal thoughts," said Palermo.

First, students in the course watched a series of video vignettes about suicides, from the perspective of public servants who were in a position to help. The suicidal characters ranged from a teenage boy to a retiree, illustrating that there is no real demographic for this kind of behavior.

"In a life threatening situation, you meet one person at a time," said Palermo, an Addis, Louisiana native. "Anybody could be at risk for suicide."

The students were then asked to identify what they felt went wrong in the scenarios and how they felt they could have done better.

The course aims to help leaders overcome personal feelings regarding suicide, and offer as much help as possible in the critical stages of a potentially suicidal person's thought process.

During an open discussion, many of the students revealed their objections to suicide. Some said they felt angry about suicide, that suicide was selfish, and pointed out that there is often a burden left on those a suicidal person leaves behind. Others said a person has a right to make their own choice about what they do with their body. ASIST identifies those attitudes to set them aside and focus on intervening for those who are in crisis.

The students were paired off for a scenario where one played a suicidal person, and the other played a concerned person, either a friend, co-worker or relative, who must intervene and try to help using the techniques learned in ASIST.

Many of the students had some experience in talking to a suicidal person, so they drew on that knowledge in their suicidal character to better meet the needs of the training, making it more realistic.

"I think it's good for every platoon sergeant to have this training, but I think it should go further than that," said Staff Sgt. Kevin Ayers, a platoon sergeant with Troop B, 6th Squadron, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 4th IBCT, and a native of Seymour, Texas. "I think it should go to the squad leaders and section sergeants because they have more face to face time with soldiers."

"I definitely agree with that," said Staff Sgt. Kevin Sloggett, a platoon sergeant in Troop C, 6-8 Cav., and a Lutz, Florida native. "The more sensors you have out there, the more effective you can be at identifying problems and helping soldiers out if they're at risk."

The Veteran Crisis Line is available to anyone in need at 1-800-273-8255.

Related Links:

The 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division DVIDS page.

The official 3rd Infantry Division and Fort Stewart Facebook page.

The official 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division Facebook page.

The official 3rd Infantry Division and Fort Stewart website.