FORT HOOD, Texas — Soldiers, family members and veterans gathered at a range here April 20 and 21 to address a critical issue: military and veteran suicide. The events were part of a broader initiative, currently part of an innovative pilot at Fort Hood, to prevent firearm-related suicides among Soldiers through a peer intervention training program.
The program is evidence-based and aims to empower Soldiers to intervene with their peers to create temporary “time and space” between Soldiers and their firearms during crises through protective storage measures. This pilot program is the first of its kind in the Army and was developed through a training and educational initiative called the Overwatch Project.
The inaugural Firearms Leadership Range Day events were part of that effort to equip Soldiers with knowledge and skills to intervene and take steps that save lives. A team from across Fort Hood Garrison, III Armored Corps and units that included 3rd Cavalry Regiment and 36th Engineer Brigade came together to plan and run the events. The events paired a recreational shooting two-gun competition with education and information on firearms suicide prevention.
The events were met with enthusiasm by Soldiers who enjoy shooting and see it as an opportunity to build camaraderie while learning about suicide prevention.
“I have a group of Soldiers out here, about 10 of us from our unit,” 1st Sgt. Nick Garcia, 36th En. Bde., said. “We have a lot of time waiting at various stages throughout this shooting competition. I have been asking them, ‘What is your plan with your firearms?’ And if they do not have a plan, we talked about, ‘Hey, well, here is my plan. Here is what you can do.’ We were doing it together through the course of the day.”
Casey Woods, executive director for the Overwatch Project, hailed the event as an “extraordinary effort” by the Fort Hood Garrison and III Armored Corps to tackle firearm suicide prevention in a new and innovative way.
“This has been part of an extraordinary effort across the III Armored Corps,” Woods said. “The whole community here at Fort Hood really wants to get after firearm suicide prevention in a different way.
“We are working on an evidence-based approach around firearm suicide prevention,” Woods continued, “where it’s basically how do we help people to create time and distance between them and their firearms when they’re in crisis.”
During the event at the range, Overwatch Project staff had time to discuss with Soldiers their firearm safety plan during times of crisis. This type of intervention is lifesaving in a crisis, and the peer-to-peer nature of the program is an important aspect of its effectiveness.
Veterans who attended the event praised the peer intervention training program and emphasized the importance of asking for help when needed. Gabe Nutter, a Fort Hood veteran, spoke about the importance of breaking the stigma surrounding asking for help.
“It takes a lot of strength to ask for help, and just breaking that stigma and asking those tough questions,” Nutter said, “which is why I’m here today. Being able to reach out for help and having people recognize I wasn’t on my game, and something was off here and (they) asked those hard questions.”
The peer intervention training program is a crucial step toward combating veteran suicide, and it was encouraging for the Soldiers to see initiatives such as this being piloted in the military. With suicide rates among active-duty service members rising, it is crucial to continue developing and implementing evidence-based approaches to prevent veteran suicide.
Despite the recent decrease in military suicides, Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III has acknowledged the progress made but stressed the need to continue working towards better mental health wellness and suicide prevention in the military. In a written statement, he emphasized that despite having the most technologically advanced military in the world, service members remain the most crucial resource in the fight, and their well-being is critical to the department’s success.
“We recognize we have more work to do,” Austin said. “Mental health wellness and suicide prevention remain critical aspects to our success and the department’s enduring commitment to take care of our people.”
Social Sharing