18th EMS Airmen conduct realistic suicide prevention training exercise

KADENA AIR BASE, OKINAWA, JAPAN

09.28.2016

Story by Airman 1st Class Corey Pettis 

18th Wing

Airmen from the 18th Equipment Maintenance Squadron went undercover, showing signs of behaviors exhibited by people who are contemplating suicide as a training exercise for supervisors and leadership.

The supervisors passed the test with flying colors, getting all five participants to accept help before being informed of the exercise.

“We took all the great ideas of suicide prevention education and decided to put a little twist on them,” said Lt. Col. Pete Leija, 18th EMS commander. “When we continue to simulate things, I don’t think you will ever get a real feel for it, you won’t feel that sense of urgency or pressure.”

This training was as real as it gets for suicide prevention. It tested each individual, whether they were a friend or a supervisor, to implement the training and education the Air Force provides and save someone’s life, continued Leija.

“Every time we have Airman Leadership School graduates, I sit them down with the shirt and we talk about what they just gained as new supervisors for the Air Force,” said Leija “With that new role, we asked them if they wanted to help with a realistic training exercise.”

Each Airman was given a different role, backstory, and reason for how they were acting.

“My role was to go to work and act slightly different than I usually do, like being depressed, tired and stressed,” said Staff Sgt. Joseph Cascasan, 18th EMS aerospace ground equipment craftsman. “I then left work early without notifying anyone.”

Cascasan pretended that his brother was ill again from a tumor he had from childhood. He would only release more information as people dug deeper.

“The more concerned they were, the more they talked to me. I would give little more information about what was going on,” said Cascasan. “I received a lot of support from my flight and a lot of people asking ‘are you okay’, ‘is something wrong’ and showing sincerity.”

One supervisor wanted to treat him to lunch to talk about it and see if he was alright.

On the day he left work early, his supervisors tracked him down to make sure he was not in any danger and ask if he wanted to use the resources available to him, such as the chaplain or the first sergeant.

From another perspective, Staff Sgt. Brandon Fugate, 18th EMS repair and reclaim journeyman, was the shift lead when one of his Airmen wasn’t acting quite right.

“This individual is a very vocal person so it was easy to tell right away something was wrong,” said Fugate. “When I approached him to ask what was going on he told me a story about back home and his family that didn't add up.”

Fugate had been working with this Airman for six years and had a good relationship with him, so he was able to notice a change.

“He attempted to try and convince me but our friendship went back too far so he wasn't able to pull it off,” said Fugate. “It just goes to show that having a bond with the people you work with helps out with things in and out of work.”

The results of this exercise were gladly surprising, added Leija. All of the scenarios were solved within two days, some even ending the same day they started.

“We get education across the wing, and with it we were able to test the application,” said Senior Master Sgt. Troy Trevino, 18th EMS first sergeant. “This was a great program and had quality points of measuring data so we can actually quantify the training we receive.”

This training was the first of its kind here, and its importance was echoed from the top leadership down to the lowest Airman.

“We take maintenance training very serious, and even if someone makes a mistake, we’re going to be okay,” said Leija. “But when it comes to suicide prevention training, if somebody makes a mistake, people aren’t always okay.”

The exercise put Airmen and supervisors in their daily operations and they all noticed somebody who was showing actual signs of distress.

“This exercise justified what I already knew and believed in my flight, that we are a tight knit group, a family,” said Cascasan. “My leadership and wingmen look out for me as I would look out for them.”

• Date Taken: 09.28.2016
• Date Posted: 09.28.2016 18:36
• Story ID: 210880
• Location: KADENA AIR BASE, OKINAWA, JP