FORT DRUM, N.Y. (Sept. 10, 2024) -- A physical fitness competition and resource fair kicked off Suicide Prevention Month on Sept. 6 inside Nash Gym at Fort Drum.
Travis Cudlin, Holistic Health and Fitness (H2F) strength coach with 10th Mountain Division Sustainment Brigade, said the “Get a Grip” event started in 2022 to promote physical fitness and mental health. This year, they co-hosted with the Army Substance Abuse Program (ASAP) to raise awareness about suicide prevention.
On the surface, the competition was an individual strength and endurance challenge, but Cudlin said it showcased much more.
“This is very much an uplifting environment, and it’s just good camaraderie,” he said. “I’ve seen some athletic competitions that can be pretty bloodthirsty, but I’ve never seen that here. Everyone wants each other to succeed and perform to their best ability.”
Cudlin said the competitors may have been strangers before, but he said that mutual respect and encouragement came through in conversations.
“From the strength coach side of things, when you’re doing physical training every day and seeing people at formation in the mornings, you kind of build that one-on-one rapport with each other,” Cudlin said. “And it really becomes one of those things where you get to know the Soldier as a person, then you can talk to each other about issues before becomes a crisis.”
Bill Van Orman, Suicide Prevention Program manager, said that combining the competition with a resource fair tied in perfectly with the Army campaign theme: “We are Stronger Together. Connect to Protect.”
“We have the competition that provides that strength and camaraderie component, and then we brought in the resources that could get people more engaged in the community,” he said.
Van Orman said that just seeing participants support one another through the competition made this a meaningful suicide prevention activity.
“Even though they’re competing, they were motivating each other,” he said. “You’ve got the spirit of competition and then this supportiveness for one another that, hopefully, they leave with. And that’s our hope with any of our prevention events: that we can pull people together and build that community of support.”
Earlier in the week, Van Orman spoke about the Suicide Prevention Month campaign at the Community Information Exchange. He said that the Army has designed suicide prevention curriculum for family members, and the ASAP office will offer training sessions for soldier and family readiness groups.
“This is almost identical to the military training but with the focus on family members,” Van Orman said. “It covers Ask, Care and Escort (ACE); fighting the stigma of suicide, and active listening skills, which is just as important at home as in a work environment, because spouses are often the first to pick up on the warning signs.”
In addition to learning about the Suicide Prevention Month campaign, CIE attendees also discovered a myriad of community activities slated for the fall, including the Relocation Readiness Program’s Mountain Meetup, the Hearts Apart deployment support group meeting, and the monthly Spouse Connections forum.
Many of the event announced at the CIE present ways for community members to connect and be social with others, while actively engaging in meaningful activities.
“When you are connecting with your community, that builds those protective factors we talk about in suicide prevention,” Van Orman said. “The more you can learn about the resources available in your area, the more you can help yourself, your family, and other community members when there is a need.”
Van Orman said that one of the first things 10th Mountain Division (LI) Soldiers learn about while in-processing on post is the Mountain CARES program. This command-driven initiative links service members with an all-encompassing resource guide to assist with issues they may encounter, including personal relationships, finances, and duty performance.
It also offers a step-by-step battle drill to navigate situations where someone may be in distress and have suicidal ideations.
“It’s a go-to resource for all Soldiers, but it also teaches junior leaders how to have the conversations with someone to identify risk factors before they elevate to the point of a warning sign for suicide,” Van Orman said.
To learn more about the Mountain CARES program, visit https://home.army.mil/drum/my-fort/all-services/CARES.
Soldiers also learn how to have those conversations during ASAP’s TRUST (Teamwork, Respect, Unit Strength Training) class.
“We have Soldiers do hands-on activities in the classroom to work on communication skills to make it far more approachable than a lecture,” Van Orman said. “It teaches them how to break the ice and have those meaningful day-to-day conversations and build that relationship with their Soldiers. If you do that first, it’s much easier to have the harder conversation with that person because you’ve developed trust.”
To learn more about suicide prevention training at Fort Drum, call (315) 772-9018. The ASAP office is located inside the Soldier and Family Readiness Center, Bldg. 10250, on 4th Armored Division Drive.
Community members also can learn more about suicide prevention at www.armyresilience.army.mil.
Social Sharing