Today's Focus:
Family Suicide Prevention and Awareness Training
SENIOR LEADERS ARE SAYING
"We’ve got to encourage people to seek the assistance they need without the fear of embarrassment or retribution. We must do this to save lives."
-Maj. Gen. Mark Graham, deputy chief of staff, FORSCOM G3/5/7
Army major general shares personal story
WHAT THEY'RE SAYING
Year of the Noncommissioned Officer
"Never give up, and always strive hard for what you believe is right. It will pay off in the long run."
- 1st Sgt. Mark Newlin, 60th Infantry Regiment, believes every Soldier should do his or her very best
Newlin: 'Set the example'
CALENDAR
2009 Commemorations :
Year of the NCO
Year of the Military Family
100th Anniversary of the Chaplain Assistant
December 2009
Dec. 16 to Jan. 25 : 65th Anniversary of Battle of the Bulge
Dec. 7: Pearl Harbor Day
Dec. 12: Army Navy Game
Dec. 24: STAND-TO! edition will not be published
Dec. 25: Christmas Holiday
Dec. 31: STAND-TO! edition will not be published
TODAY'S FOCUS
Family Suicide Prevention and Awareness Training
What is it?
The U.S. Army created a Suicide Prevention Task Force in the ongoing effort to decrease the number of suicides in the Army. One of the goals of the task force is to increase the number of available training programs, to include families. This family training is strictly voluntary, which includes the challenges of getting the training to families. Research shows families are aware of this training, but some have not attended the sessions.
What has the Army done?
In 2009, the Army launched several actions in support of suicide prevention, including these four:
(1) the EXORD (HQDA103-09) released in February encourages commanders to supply Army Family Readiness Groups (FRGs)and spouses with the suicide prevention training.
(2) Army Regulation 600-63, released in September, provides guidance for the execution of a Family Member Suicide Prevention Program (FMSPP), headed up by a Suicide Prevention Program Manager (SPPM) to increase understanding and knowledge of suicide and the warning signs.
(3) the Military Family Life Consultants (MFLC) Program uses licensed clinicians for behavioral health counseling sessions with active duty, National Guard and Army Reserve Soldiers and their families.
(4) the TRICARE Assistance Program (TRIAP) offers online behavioral health resources to any active-duty servicemember and members of their family 18 years of age or older.
Why is this important to the Army?
Senior military leaders emphasize that seeking help when needed is a sign of personal strength; encouraging this behavior will contribute to a holistically healthy Army, one that is sound in body, mind and spirit. Including families in suicide prevention efforts encourages resiliency among the Soldiers and, overall, a healthy Army community.
What is planned for the future?
FORSCOM commanders should continue with their efforts encouraging the participation of families in suicide-prevention training. Each installation is implementing the FMSPP,and supplies necessary training programs and materials. Annual Phase III Sustainment Training, which reiterates the lessons learned in Phases I and II, will continue. By taking care of the Soldiers and families, the mission readiness of the Army will be much improved.
Resources:
Army G-1 Suicide Prevention Web site
U.S. Army Center for Health Promotion and Preventive Medicine
STAND-TO! NEWS
ABOUT THE ARMY
- Army approves suicide-intervention training for leaders (The U.S. Army)
- New Army.mil to deliver headlines readers want (The U.S. Army)
- Families of Fort Drum-based Soldiers bracing for impact of Obama's troop surge in Afghanistan (New York Daily News)
- Monument unveiled for legendary U.S. Army general (The U.S. Army)
- Commentary: Spouse support network helps writer cope with deployments (The U.S. Army)
- Exercise Yama Sakura 57 reunites USARPAC Soldier with family in Japan (The U.S. Army)
OVERSEAS OPERATIONS
- Gates: 'No deadlines' on troop withdrawal (The Washington Post)
- Mullen downplays logistics problems with Afghan deployment (The Hill)
- Surge strategy borrows from Bush argument (Wall Street Journal)
- McChrystal tells Afghans U.S. not leaving yet (Reuters)
- Multiple obstacles for Afghan training mission (Army Times)
- McChrystal upbeat on revamped Afghan strategy (Reuters)
- Afghans see sharp shift in U.S. tone (New York Times)
- NATO to send more forces to Afghanistan, U.S. special envoy says (Boston Globe)
- Governments pledge additional troops (Wall Street Journal)
OF INTEREST
- Isle Guard's top enlisted leader gets national post (Honolulu Star-Bulletin)
- DOD to miss deadline for removing Social Security numbers from IDs (Stars and Stripes)
- Agent Orange's lethal legacy (Chicago Tribune)
- Economy hits groups helping military families (USA Today)
- Panel criticizes military's use of embedded anthropologists (New York Times)
- Resumed military panels face new challenges (The Washington Post)
- Wife: Iraq changed Fort Drum suspect (Philadelphia Inquirer)
WORLD VIEW
- Obama strategy is flexible, says U.S. ambassador (London Daily Telegraph)
- Medvedev says Afghan peace vital (Moscow Times)
- U.S. sees bigger role for China in Afghanistan (South China Morning Post)
- Berlin renews Afghan presence (Financial Times)
- Yousuf Raza Gilani: We are fighting the Taliban and reviving democracy (London Times)
- Travelling by road in Afghanistan 'now more dangerous than under Taliban' (London Daily Telegraph)
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