DETROIT ARSENAL, Mich. – Maj. Gen. Michael B. Lalor, commanding general of U.S. Army Tank-automotive and Armaments Command, reflected on the importance of finding purpose, making connections and having hope during a Nov. 12 suicide prevention session at the Detroit Arsenal.
“You all have value,” Lalor stressed to members of the TACOM workforce.
Led by Lalor and TACOM Chaplain Lt. Col. Michael A. DeRienzo, the event was a heartfelt, thought-provoking discussion about a complex and difficult topic. It comes as suicide rates continue to be a pressing concern across the military and are on the rise nationwide.
“It’s real, and we have to talk about it. … I want to talk about how we start to deal with it together,” Lalor stated in his opening remarks.
Just about everyone has been touched by suicide in some way, Lalor said, whether through the loss of a friend or family member or by knowing someone who has considered taking his or her own life.
He urged TACOM team members to look out for one another – and never be afraid to ask for help.
In the first quarter of 2024, there were 139 suspected or confirmed suicides across active-duty personnel, reservists and National Guard members, according to a recent Department of Defense Quarterly Suicide report.
Lalor said TACOM has lost four valued team members since he became commanding general last year.
“Any is too many,” he said. “Zero is the standard here.”
Lalor noted that the problem is not unique to TACOM, or the military. The national suicide rate has increased 36% between 2000-22, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Nearly 50,000 people nationwide died of suicide in 2022.
Finding a sense of purpose is a key element in the fight against suicide. Lalor said every member of the TACOM team, no matter their job title or responsibilities, plays a valuable role in supporting the organization’s critical mission.
“Everybody has purpose," he said. "Everybody has a reason to be getting out of bed in the morning and to be helping do what you’re doing.
"And that’s just at work; that doesn’t touch the home front. Everybody in this organization ... is a brother, is a sister, is a parent, a friend. Whatever your particular role is, you have purpose."
Fostering an environment of connectedness is also extremely important, Lalor said. Even small, one-on-one interactions like sending a text message or initiating a conversation with a colleague in a hallway can positively impact someone who might be struggling.
“Everybody here can connect with somebody on something and on some level, and that’s all it takes,” Lalor said. “Just that can go a long way on a given day to making your environment a little better, our world a little stronger, and the team a little tighter. That’s what we’re looking for. That’s the best defense.”
DeRienzo offered tips for nurturing a sense of hope: setting short- and long-term goals, practicing gratitude and focusing on doing the “next right thing” to accomplish a task or help someone else.
He also urged people to watch out for potential suicide warning signs in others. If someone is becoming more withdrawn, trying to drive other people away or has stopped caring about personal hygiene, there could be cause for concern.
“I would ask you this holiday season, if somebody is withdrawing, if somebody is tough to be around, spend a few extra moments with that person" and remind them that you love them, DeRienzo said.
Lalor said there’s nothing that the TACOM team can’t tackle together.
“All 13,000 of you who are either watching or are going to watch this, I’m signed for you,” he said. “If I’m signed for you, we’re going to make sure that we take care of each other, and we’re going to enforce an environment where we are going to be purpose-minded, and we are going to inject hope."
He encouraged people to talk to each other, “with some empathy and some care and compassion.”
The Army recently unveiled several resources designed to bolster its Suicide Prevention Program. They include the implementation of a new standalone suicide prevention policy; the creation of the Lethal Means Safety Toolkit, which encourages safe storage of weapons and medication; and the publication of an information sheet to guide leaders on how to implement Ask, Care, Escort - Suicide Intervention training within their units.
DeRienzo encouraged anyone at TACOM who might be struggling to reach out to him.
“I would much rather stop what I’m doing and talk with you than do another remembrance ceremony. … I care about you,” he said. “You matter.”
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