FORT HUACHUCA, Ariz. – The 305th Military Intelligence Battalion and the installation Suicide Prevention Program sponsored the first Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) class for Soldiers Aug. 20-21, 2020, at the battalion’s headquarters here.
“The ASIST class empowers trainees to notice nuances in mannerisms, recognize suicidal ideation and behavior, and provide skilled and direct interventions,” said Joanne Prince, Suicide Prevention Program manager, Soldier and Family Readiness Center.
More than 20 military intelligence personnel representing battalions under the 111th Military Intelligence Brigade attended the training, stated Chaplain (Capt.) Christopher Yeargin, 305th MI Bn. chaplain and ASIST course instructor.
Yeargin, along with Staff Sgt. Tristan Fraser, instructor, 305th MI Bn.; and 1st Sgt. Seth Nuckols, first sergeant, 304th MI Bn. are the brigade’s first ASIST-qualified personnel. This inaugural ASIST class was taught suicide intervention skills to front-line members of the brigade in an effort to create strong formations of first responders for suicide prevention.
Providing the right support for a Soldier in crisis is imperative, Fraser said.
“The Army states currently an average of twenty-two Soldiers a day die from suicide,” Fraser said. “Enabling our Soldiers to help fight this current trend needs to happen now.”
ASIST provides education to recognize signs and how to keep someone safe from suicide.
Soldiers attended the training in civilian attire to alleviate a rank-biased discussion. Students start with classroom study and familiarization. Within the curriculum, they work in groups exercising with a simulated at-risk person and situation.
“The skills you will learn in this course are difficult to apply even for the most seasoned first responder,” Prince emphasized. But with practice, these skills can save a life, she explained.
Soldiers are encouraged to share events in their lives, times of suffering devastating loss and their personal grieving process in connection with suicides. Although difficult and painful memories to revisit, navigating these sensitive areas are essential and enhance the course.
“Their past personal experiences with suicide are effective in a way that showcases that suicide effects everyone, regardless of rank, age, ethnicity, or origin, etc.,” Nuckols said. “Those past experiences help them relate to those in need and identify when to use the tools taught during the training.”
Not everyone seeking advice needs suicide intervention but knowing when to use the skills may one day save someone's life, and that is the most important aspect of the training, Nuckols added.
“I’m elated. It’s awe-inspiring seeing you all,” Prince said. “You will learn the skills to be the solid support for a buddy to your right or your left, and more.”
Prince recognized the students as the very first class on post to participate in this training.
“You all are literally this community’s first line of defense in suicide prevention,” she added.
The 305th MI Bn. plans to offer the ASIST course on a consistent basis for their Soldiers and to educate their partner battalions, and in the future engage the greater-Fort Huachuca community.
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Fort Huachuca is home to the U.S. Army Intelligence Center of Excellence, the U.S. Army Network Enterprise Technology Command (NETCOM)/9th Army Signal Command and more than 48 supported tenants representing a diverse, multiservice population. Our unique environment encompasses 964 square miles of restricted airspace and 2,500 square miles of protected electronic ranges, key components to the national defense mission.
Located in Cochise County, in southeast Arizona, about 15 miles north of the border with Mexico, Fort Huachuca is an Army installation with a rich frontier history. Established in 1877, the Fort was declared a national landmark in 1976.
We are the Army’s Home. Learn more at https://home.army.mil/huachuca/
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