Photo By Sgt. Erin Conway | Soldiers participate in a suicide prevention training escape room put together by Unit...... read more read more
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Unit Ministry Teams and the 10th Military Police Battalion, Criminal Investigation Division, on Ft. Bragg developed a suicide prevention training escape room in order to introduce an interactive training for Soldiers on base and hopefully make it a permanent alternative to traditional, classroom based training.
On Feb. 15, 2022, U.S. Army Capt. Corey Reeder, Battalion Chaplain assigned to the 10th Military Police Battalion, CID, and Sgt. Livia Sinigaglia, Religious Affairs noncommissioned officer assigned to the 10th Military Police Battalion, CID, took other chaplain leaders and CID agents through the escape rooms. The participants were able to experience a more hands-on way suicide prevention training can be done with their own Soldiers, rather then having a usual brief in a classroom setting.
“We are really hoping that the Religious Support Office and the 18th Airborne Corps Chaplain’s Office will help us to get a suicide prevention escape room permanently established on Ft. Bragg,” said Reeder. “It provides them ready-made, really engaging suicide prevention training.”
Reeder and Sinigaglia spent the last few months planning and building the escape room style suicide prevention training located in their motorpool. Reeder said the idea came to them when they visited one of their units at Ft. Gordon and saw the religious support office there had a kind of escape room idea set up.
“The idea got planted, and my fearless assistant Sergeant Sinigaglia really got energized about the idea,” said Reeder. “Her, a few other Soldiers and her son came out to help and the idea ran from there.”
The building at the motorpool was divided into three, scenario-based escape rooms. Each room told a different story about a Soldier who committed suicide. The participants worked together to solve clues and in the process, learned about suicide risk factors and warning signs. Each room also held clues about resources Soldiers can utilize when they are struggling with suicidal thoughts and life stressors.
Sgt. 1st Class Sharon Hernandez, a CID special agent, said suicide is a big issue in the Army and this style of training provides resources for Soldiers in a way they will remember.
“Doing this activity, you will get different phone numbers and different people you can talk to so I think it's a great idea,” said Hernandez.
Elizabeth Kozlowski, a wellness program counselor, said this issue has been on the forefront of leaders’ minds as suicide rates have been increasing among service members.
“This is a great way for folks to learn what some of the signs for suicide are, what are some different ways we can talk to our friends and service members if they are struggling, and where we can go to get some resources and help,” said Kozlowski.
U.S. Army Capt. Marc DeLuca, 1st Special Warfare Training Group Chaplain at the John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School, went through the training as well. DeLuca said he found the escape room training more helpful than a classroom training.
“These are great, because a lot of the stuff we talk about when we are briefing people, you can actually walk through and see in real time here,” said DeLuca. “It’s interactive, so people are enjoying themselves as they are going through the training without sort of realizing they are being trained at the same time. It’s great.”
Reeder said suicide prevention is always important and training in an engaging way where Soldiers will retain the information is vital.
“The number one priority from the Chief of Staff of the Army is people,” said Reeder. “That means a lot of things, but certainly putting our best effort behind suicide prevention.”
| Date Taken: | 02.15.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 02.16.2022 15:03 |
| Story ID: | 414768 |
| Location: | FORT BRAGG, NORTH CAROLINA, US |
| Web Views: | 787 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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