Soldiers train for suicide prevention

Photo By Spc. Maurice Galloway | Devon Taylor (right), Course Instructor during an Applied Suicide Intervention Skills...... read more read more

Photo By Spc. Maurice Galloway | Devon Taylor (right), Course Instructor during an Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training course held on Camp Arifjan, Kuwait, listens as one Soldier, explains why ASIST is important during the small groups instructors training potion of the course.  see less | View Image Page

BASRA, IRAQ

06.11.2010

Story by Spc. Maurice Galloway 

17th Field Artillery Brigade

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CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE BASRAH, Iraq – “I’m asking the backbone of our Army, our NCO Corps, and other green-tab leaders, to look each and every Soldier in the eye and convey the message that each one is valued by our Army, their families and friends, and our nation,” said Gen. Peter W. Chairelli, Army Vice Chief of Staff during a suicide prevention speech in January.

Soldiers with the 17th Fires Brigade, deployed to Basrah, Iraq, and twenty-one others from various units throughout Iraq and Afghanistan met for a weeklong Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training course at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait.

Four certified trainers administered the course: Devon Taylor, David Pina, Joe Johnson and Chris Piper of the LivingWorks A.S.I.S.T program developed in Alberta, Canada.

“Suicide doesn’t care what color you are, how much money you make, or even where you live. It’s everywhere, which is why we need ASIST trained caregivers throughout our communities,” said Devon Taylor, Course Instructor of LivingWorks Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training.

According to the Army G-1 Suicide Prevention Office, in 2007 and 2008 the Army saw its highest suicide rates.

In January 2009, the Army reported more deaths due to suicide than from combat operations. These alarming numbers prompted a powerful statement, which flooded barracks halls on posters across the nation from Sergeant Major of the Army Kenneth Preston: “One suicide is too many!”

The Living Works Company was contracted in 2009 to assist the Army in training Soldiers to intervene, significantly reducing the chance of the person at risk completing the suicide.

“The ASIST program is similar to the Army’s ACE program. However, the ASIST program asks you to be more involved in the person at risk’s recovery process,” said Chaplain (Capt.) Mark Rendon, 1st Battalion (Air Assault), 377th Field Artillery Regiment, 17th Fires Brigade.

The Army’s ACE program had Soldiers ask the person at risk if they had thoughts of ‘/suicide, care for them by removing any means that could be used for self-injury and escort the person at risk to the Chaplain.

Rendon, a Stockton, Calif., native, said the ASIST model provides Soldiers who are not in care giving related fields such as the Chaplain’s Corps or Medical Corps a systematic structure that’s proven to work and easy to learn.

During the first half of the course, each of the instructors helped the participants understand the concepts of ASIST by showing suicide intervention videos, using role-plays that allowed the participants to see the model at work and fully engaging them in suicide intervention scenarios as caregivers.

“This course is more than just a ‘check the block’ program. Suicide is real and it’s happening in our Armed Forces and our families,” said Staff Sgt. Caroline Keller, Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 17th Fires Brigade, chaplain’s assistant and native of Salem, Ore.

“With ASIST, my team and I are now prepared to carry the ASIST program into our community and empower those people with skills to prevent suicide. We will intervene and save lives from suicide,” she added.

Keller and the other participants completed the course as caregivers and certified training instructors, returning to their units able to conduct classes of their own for Soldiers and their families, creating more caregivers throughout their communities.

“We must remind Soldiers that the Army remains committed to help, support, and assist them to meet hardships head-on, no matter the struggle, stressor, or challenge,” said Chairelli.