Photo By Allison Hoy | Service members donate non-perishable food items Sept. 12 at Solo Point, Joint Base...... read more read more
JOINT BASE LEWIS-McCHORD, Wash. – Suicide prevention in the military is a personal topic for Staff Sgt. James Norris, of Madigan Army Medical Center’s Soldier Recovery Unit at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.
“We’ve got our brothers and sisters who have left the military and those (who) are still in, that are dealing with stress and other things that they look at the only way out is by ending their life,” he said. “And I kind-of understand where they’re coming from, being a person who has survived their own suicide several times. This was back when I was a kid.”
Norris and approximately 1,500 others from JBLM participated Sept. 12 in the base’s fourth annual Fill the Ruck, a 4.1-mile ruck march with learning stations that count toward soldiers’ annual suicide-prevention training, at Solo Point, JBLM. The event was held in conjunction with September being National Suicide Prevention Month.
The event’s goals include building communication, connections, resiliency and teams, and teaching stress management and available resources.
“Especially when it comes to men, we don’t like to talk to people,” Norris said. “We just like to let things just build, build — until it all comes crumbling down, and you’re at the bottom of a well. And sometimes for the people that actually do choose to commit suicide, they don’t have anybody to talk to. So having somebody to talk to and getting that out there is important.”
The weight of stuffed rucks during the event symbolized carrying everyday stress. Additionally, the service members carried rocks weighing 30-50 pounds as squad- or company-sized groups. This represented added/unknown/built-up stress, which can require asking for help or asking a battle buddy if they need help. It’s supposed to assist with breaking the stigma of asking for help before a situation becomes an issue, said Jacqueline Salazar, Amy Substance Abuse Program manager, and Jackeline Young, Suicide Prevention Program coordinator.
As of last year, community service became a Fill-the-Ruck focus, too. The service members were asked to pack non-perishable food items and/or Santa’s Castle donations.
In 2024, more than $11,000 worth of toys and more than 1,000 pounds of non-perishable foods were donated, said Salazar and Young.
After crossing the finish line, service members unloaded their donations, symbolizing their stress levels decreasing after asking for help.
“We came out as a unit, as a company,” said Staff Sgt. Randy Zavala, of 1st Battalion, 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team. “(We) learned a lot of team cohesion in the beginning, a lot of ways to deal with the big and the small stressors that come with being in the Army and life, and then the willingness for everyone to help each-other out if there’s a problem.”
Zavala said Fill the Ruck made a difference for his unit.
“I think it built a lot of trust within our formation that may or may not have been there before,” he said. “So, it’s definitely going to open up a channel where guys can (think), ‘Hey, we can actually talk to these people; they’re not just our higher-ups.’”
For more information about JBLM’s Suicide Prevention Program, visit: https://home.army.mil/lewis-mcchord/about/Directorates-support-offices/dhr/spp.
To learn more about ASAP at JBLM, visit: https://home.army.mil/lewis-mcchord/about/Directorates-support-offices/dhr/asap.
| Date Taken: | 09.12.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 09.12.2025 15:16 |
| Story ID: | 548015 |
| Location: | TACOMA, WASHINGTON, US |
| Hometown: | TACOMA, WASHINGTON, US |
| Web Views: | 33 |
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