Stand-To: Procedure prior to first light to enhance unit security, a daily compendium of news, information, and context for Army leaders.

"The drive toward efficiency is more important today than ever … One of our challenges for now and the future is to make sure that we take advantage of every dollar that the American taxpayer and Congress gives us."

- Lt. Gen. Bill Phillips, military deputy to the assistant secretary of the Army for acquisition, logistics and technology, citing the Department of Defense's push to achieve or identify $100 billion in savings by fiscal year 2016, at the Army Aviation Association of America Exposition, April 17-20, 2011, in Nashville, Tenn.

Aviation reset key to sustaining high ops tempo

"The only way you can build the fighting spirit in a Soldier is to take away all of his weapons, gear and other protections and force him to fight only with his body, intelligence and heart … they are the real weapon while everything else are merely tools to enhance their lethality."

-Sgt. 1st Class Eric Roberts, an instructor of Modern Army Combatives Program with the 6th Battalion, 52nd Air Defense Artillery Battalion at Suwon Air Base, South Korea

Soldier runs combatives program in Korea

• Information Papers with "2011 Army Posture Statement"
• 2010 Strategic Communication Resource Guide (AKO log in required)
• 2011 US Army Social Media Handbook
• US Army Social Media (AKO log-in required)
• Early Bird News Site
• Stories of Valor
• Army Public Affairs Portal (AKO log in required)

• Community Covenant
• Bloggers Roundtable
• Soldiers, ANSF, distribute 6,000 coats to rural Afghans (The US Army)
• National Guard responds to domestic disasters (The US Army)

2010-2013: 60th Anniversary of the Korean War

150 Years: The Battle of Gettysburg: The American Civil War

April:
Sexual Assault Prevention Awareness Month:
- Army's SHARP Program

Month of the Military Child: Operation Military Kids website

Celebrate Diversity Month:
- Asian Pacific Americans in the US Army
- African Americans in the US Army
- Hispanic Americans in the US Army
- Women in the US Army

• 2011 US Army Social Media Handbook
• Army Social Media: A command information sharing platform
• Facebook: Follow the Army
• Twitter: Army updates
• YouTube: Army videos
• Flickr: Army images
• ArmyLive: Army blogs
• Army Media Player
• Free "Army Social Media Handbook" iPhone App

The Civil War Sesquicentennial

Retroactive Stop Loss Special Pay

• U.S. Army bloggers roundtable: NCOs and staying focused in combat zones
• "Small circle" in Al-Qaida plotted post-Sept. 11 attacks
• DoD wants spouse career input
• Care package guide for deployed Soldiers
• A trip down memory lane
• Drill sergeant in Minnesota

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Army National Guard Resilience, Risk Reduction, and Suicide Prevention Task Force

What is it?

The Army National Guard (ARNG) established a Resilience, Risk Reduction, and Suicide Prevention (R3SP) Task Force to synchronize ARNG health promotion and risk reduction efforts, including procedures to review, assess, and manage Task Action Plans (TAPs) developed in conjunction with the Army's Health Promotion and Risk Reduction Council (HP&RRC).

What has the National Guard done?

The ARNG has made it our top priority to promote resilience and risk reduction and to correspondingly decrease suicidal ideations and actions. This includes enhancing the resilience of our Soldiers and families through institutionalized training, leadership awareness, and prevention and intervention programs.

The R3SP task force also began conducting biweekly meetings in January 2011 in synchronization with biweekly HP&RRC meetings. Additionally, the ARNG hired 54 suicide prevention program managers in the states and territories, has trained over 220 master resilience trainers (MRTs) and 80 resilience training assistants (RTAs) who are assigned to brigades, battalions, and companies, and also distributed two resilience and risk reduction guides-the ARNG Leader's Guide to Resilience and the Soldier-to-Soldier Peer Support Handbook.

What continued program efforts are planned for the future?

The task force anticipates developing and processing at least 300 ARNG TAPs as well as staffing HP&RRC TAPs for national and state R3SP programs. Our senior leaders recognize that ARNG families, peers, and employers provide the foundation and daily support network for each Soldier. In addition, the ARNG has increased the focus on substance abuse prevention. This includes awareness outreach to ensure a comprehensive team approach in reducing substance abuse and its inherent ties to behavioral health.

Our efforts to increase assets available to commanders to promote resilience include collaboration with national and community organizations such as the American Red Cross, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Agency (SAMHSA), the Army's Comprehensive Soldier Fitness Program (CSF), counselors, and clergy. The ARNG is also teaming with the Army to incorporate Traditional Drilling Guardsmen into future studies, such as the Study to Assess Risk and Resilience in our Service Members (STARRS).

Why is this important to the National Guard?

The quality of the citizen-Soldiers of the Army National Guard is unprecedented. However, it remains our top priority to promote resilience, reduce risk, and ensure we do not stigmatize help-seeking behavior. While we do not know definitively what triggers a suicidal thought or action, we do know that the stressors affecting a Soldier's outlook such as employment, relationships, and behavioral health issues must be identified and mitigated to promote a ready and resilience force.

Resources:

Army National Guard G1