A new Prevention Music Initiative offers a modern, creative way to reach Soldiers and Families with messages of suicide prevention. The initiative’s collaborators include Sgt. 1st Class Todd Freeman from the United States Army Civil Affairs and Psychological Operations Command; Sgt. Maj. Ruben Murillo, Senior Enlisted Advisor to DPRR; and the United States Army Field Band and Army band musicians.
After he lost a friend to suicide at a young age, Freeman, who has made it his mission to support Suicide Prevention Program initiatives as a songwriter, has vowed to help people struggling through hardship.
Freeman's shift from supporting the Army band to the Suicide Prevention Program is helping him to fulfill that goal. His role includes supporting units and Army Families with suicide prevention training, resources and postvention assistance.
“I got into songwriting and loved the ability to convey messages with music and realized that this was something that would work for the Suicide Prevention Program,” he said.
Freeman was inspired to write a seven-part music series that shares a complex and deeply human story about Soldiers’ mental health struggles. The songs chart an emotional journey from despair to hope, isolation to connection and help-seeking, and vulnerability to renewal.
He said the lyrics are based on interviews with battle buddies who have post-traumatic stress and sought therapy, his personal discussions with other Soldiers and feedback during interventions. Freeman, the musicians and other collaborators went on to compose music with messages that aim to heal members of the Army community.
PMI is an Army comprehensive public health approach to preventing suicide and other harmful behaviors highlighted in Sgt. Maj. of the Army Michael R. Weimer’s January 2024 testimony before the House Armed Services Committee Quality of Life Panel. The initiative complements numerous resources already available to Army leaders as they actively engage units in suicide prevention. The new songs and videos can be incorporated into annual and ad-hoc prevention training and organizational activities in order to pave the way for open discussion, sharing and support among teammates and battle buddies.
“Senior leaders are uniquely positioned to shape the climate in which Soldiers trust leadership,” said Renee Johnson, Suicide Prevention Program Manager.
Simply put, they can help Soldiers feel seen, heard and supported. In sharing these songs, leaders can emphasize Soldier and Family readiness, individual grit and the power of positive change. The songs’ meanings highlight the incredible resilience of Army community members to thrive and grow through challenges. DPRR’s evidence-based policies and programs to prevent and respond to suicide are being integrated during Suicide Prevention Month and year-round.
Novel initiatives like PMI can reduce stigma and encourage help-seeking, foster communities of care and promote essential resources such as the 988 (+1) Crisis Line, Military OneSource and Telemynd. Ready and resilient Army communities can elevate the voices of Soldiers and Families to overcome hardship, encourage effective leadership and build caring connections. The next phase of the initiative will involve music industry contacts including the 81st Readiness Division’s Chief Warrant Officer 3 Billy Green and Chief Warrant Officer 1 Craig Greer (also known as country music artist Craig Morgan).
Together they will refine the songs and disseminate the powerful messages. They aim to upload the series directly to consumer platforms such as Amazon Music, Apple Music and Spotify and hope to film a documentary to share prevention messages to broader audiences. Find the seven-song series and more information on PMI on DPRR's website or YouTube
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