Airman honors brother: California Air National Guard pilot shares his story during National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month

MOFFETT FIELD, CA, UNITED STATES

09.12.2023

Story by Senior Airman Serena Smith 

129th Rescue Wing

MOFFETT AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, Calif. — September is National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, a time to raise awareness and increase discussion around a highly stigmatized topic that exists within the Department of Defense. Suicide is a complex issue with no single cause or solution, affecting many Airmen in multiple ways. Our greatest strength is our people, and we should all be striving to improve the quality of life by offering resources and developing connectedness to support our teammates, families and friends.

Suicide is a complex issue with no single cause or solution, affecting many Airmen in multiple ways. Our greatest strength is our people, and we should all be striving to improve the quality of life by offering resources and developing connectedness to support our teammates, families and friends.

This past May, the 129th Rescue Wing participated in a Memorial Day flyover honoring those who have fought for our country.

For the pilot it was personal.

U.S. Air Force Capt. Parker Imrie, an HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopter pilot from the wing's 129th Rescue Squadron, volunteered for the ceremony flyover as a tribute to his brother.

Parker’s younger sibling, U.S. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Milo Imrie, served at Camp Pendleton and deployed twice as an infantry assaultman with the “Darkhorse” unit, 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines.

When Milo returned from deployment in Afghanistan, he adjusted back into civilian life and was honorably discharged in 2012.

He received support from groups like Wine Country Marines, a Sonoma-based nonprofit for veterans, to help him adjust but continued to suffer from PTSD and a traumatic brain injury. He also had survivor’s guilt as his battalion experienced some of the heaviest combat casualties during the U.S. war in Afghanistan.

In 2018, seven years after his return, Milo died by suicide.

His death devastated his family.

Parker, who was in pilot training at the time, rolled back a few classes while he took time to grieve with his family. He reached out to his peers and other military resources for support before returning to training.

“We all have terrible experiences at some point in our life and it feels like there’s nothing you can ever do to bounce back from that,” said Parker. “Anyone that is experiencing a similar thing, I encourage them to keep faith that no matter how eviscerating it feels in the moment. Life goes on and things will get better. It's critical to reach out for help.”

Parker said he relied heavily on Military One Source for grief counseling. He also reached out to resources at the wing, including talking to Carolann Wunderlin, the wing's military and family readiness program manager.

Years later, this past May, Parker and his family honored Milo on Memorial Day.

“I take Memorial Day seriously,” he said. “It’s obviously a personal thing as well as a patriotic thing. My brother’s not the only person who's given his life or made other major sacrifices.”

James Brown, the president of Wine Country Marines, organized a Memorial Day event at Oakhill Memorial Park in San Jose and reached out to the wing for flyover support.

Brown and Milo served in the same battalion but at different times. Brown often worked to support this unit when Marines returned from deployments. He met the Marines at the airport and provided an escort back to their homes. Milo was one of the Marines he helped.

Wine Country Marines was one of the resources Parker and his family worked with during their grieving. Parker remembered Brown and reached out to thank him.

“As soon as I saw the last name my heart kind of stopped,” said Brown.

Brown knew he had an opportunity to do some good.

He suggested introducing a new wreath during the ceremony titled “Those who succumbed to their invisible wounds.” Brown spoke about Milo during the ceremony, and Gordon Imrie, Parker and Milo’s father, held and presented the new wreath.

Parker flew overhead in the helicopter as people cheered.

“It was definitely rewarding,” said Parker. “I was really glad for the opportunity to do it and even more so once it became more personal.”

Suicide affects many American lives, and it’s important these stories do not become forgotten. By continuing to address the topic, Airmen are fighting for their peers to have the courage to get the help they need.

According to the Department of Defense, the suicide rate among active-duty troops was 24.3 per 100,000 in 2021, a 15% decrease from the year prior. The decrease may be a result from the increase of resources from the DoD and other organizations, as well as awareness and training.

“There’s definitely an increase in awareness and a small but noticeable decrease in the stigma,” said Parker.

Editor's note: Suicide doesn’t always have warning signs, but it is preventable.

The Air Force’s approach to suicide prevention is called ACE (Act, Care, Escort).

ACE is a three-step process designed to help determine if someone is suicidal and to prevent them from harming themselves.

Ask the person if they are thinking of hurting themselves.
Show you care, listen and let the person know they are not alone.
Escort an Airman to resources as quickly as possible, chaplain, friend, medical personnel, or others who can help.

Online resources include:
Military Mental Health (www.militarymentalhealth.org)
The Military Crisis Line (www.veteranscrisisline.net)
AfterDeployment.org (www.afterdeployemnt.org)
The National Center for Telehealth and Technology (wwwt2health.org)
CMD Behavioral Health (www.calguard.ca.gov/bh/)

Battling suicide requires resilience, strength and support from all. Arm yourself with the knowledge and resources to make a difference and help decrease the stigma and save lives on the battlefield and at home.

• Date Taken: 09.12.2023
• Date Posted: 12.03.2023 16:35
• Story ID: 458991
• Location: MOFFETT FIELD, CA, US