Photo By Tiana Williams | U.S. Space Force 1st Lt. Edward Fincke, 4th Electromagnetic Warfare Squadron crew...... read more read more
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PETERSON SPACE FORCE BASE, Colo. -- While September marks National Suicide Prevention Month across the Department of War, Space Base Delta 1 approaches suicide prevention as an ongoing, year-round operational requirement. Through the Integrated Primary Prevention Workforce office, SBD 1 is actively strengthening protective factors, fostering workplace connection, and ensuring comprehensive resources are accessible to Guardians, Airmen, civilians, and their families before a crisis occurs.
Suicide remains a serious public health challenge nationwide, with data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicating 48,824 deaths in 2024. Research demonstrates that suicide risk can be substantially reduced through strong protective factors, including accessible healthcare, effective leadership engagement, and meaningful connection to family and community support structures.
By recognizing warning signs in ourselves and our teammates, encouraging secure storage and other early actions can create life-saving time and distance, and connecting people in distress to support, we help preserve unit cohesion, trust, and combat effectiveness.
At Peterson Space Force Base, the IPPW office operates as part of a specialized DoW initiative dedicated to analyzing comprehensive metrics and identifying resource gaps. By addressing foundational drivers of harmful behaviors, the team proactively counters issues including suicide, sexual assault, harassment, domestic abuse, and child abuse.
“Primary prevention is focused on reducing risk before a person reaches a point of crisis,” said Melissa Dashner, prevention coordination specialist with IPPW. “It addresses the conditions that increase stress, isolation, or harm across a unit, workplace, or community, while also strengthening protective factors such as connectedness, trust, healthy leadership, and access to support. In short, primary prevention is proactive, crisis response is immediate, and postvention is responsive and recovery oriented.”
A foundational element of the IPPW mission is clarifying the difference between primary prevention, crisis response, and postvention. Primary prevention takes a proactive approach by addressing unit-level stressors, isolation, and environmental conditions while strengthening protective factors such as healthy leadership and mutual trust. In contrast, crisis response manages immediate risks, while postvention focuses on organizational recovery and support after a tragic event has occurred.
Throughout the month of September there are several IPPW-led events taking place around Peterson SFB that allow service members and their families access to resources and helping agencies.
SCHEDULED EVENTS: Suicide Prevention Training at the Peterson SFB Auditorium:
Wellness Connection: YOGA at the Peterson SFB Fitness Center, Aerobics Room:
IPPW works closely with commanders and senior leaders to establish that their force is equipped with the proper information and helping agencies to ensure they receive the help they need.
“Our office works as a coordinating and advisory partner to commanders, leaders, and helping agencies to strengthen prevention across the force, improve awareness of risk and protective factors, and connect people to support early,” Dashner said. “The goal is to build a shared prevention approach that is leader-enabled, data-informed, and centered on the well-being and readiness of our Guardians, Airmen, and civilian teammates.”
Beyond organized events, prevention relies on consistent actions within everyday work environments. Teams and supervisors are encouraged to hold open conversations regarding stress and workload, routinely promote available helping agencies, and practice intentional inclusion and follow-up with individuals navigating difficult transitions or elevated stress.
“Suicide Prevention Month is important because prevention is not solely an individual responsibility; it is a workforce and community responsibility. This month helps the workforce reinforce connection, trust, and early support across the organization,” said Dashner.
Highlighting the profound personal commitment within the ranks can be found all around SBD 1. USSF Guardian 1st Lt. Edward Fincke, crew commander at the 4th Electromagnetic Warfare Squadron, recently completed a 250-mile run to champion Suicide Prevention Month. This milestone demonstrated the physical stamina, mental resilience, and mutual dedication required to sustain operational readiness across the force.
Six days after he started running, Fincke crossed the finish line and completed his run surrounded by family, friends, coworkers, and senior level leaders.
“It’s a privilege to suffer voluntarily,” Fincke told those gathered. “Our veterans do not. I won my event because of the community’s support, but 17 veterans every day do not win their battles.” As the military’s newest branch, the USSF has the opportunity to build its cultural foundation from the ground up, as noted by Fincke. “I am asking you to show up for them the exact same way you showed up for me this week,” said Fincke. “That is how we win this fight.”
The overarching message of this month is that prevention is a shared mission that begins long before a crisis develops.
“The most important message is that prevention is everyone’s business, and early connection matters,” said Dashner. “Our goal is to build a culture where no one feels they have to carry hardship alone and where support is accessible before a crisis occurs.”
Suicide prevention is not a one-month campaign, and it is not the responsibility of one office alone. It is a readiness issue, a leadership issue, and a community issue. Every Guardian, Airman, civilian, and leader has a role in building connected teams where people are seen, supported, and encouraged to seek help early. If you or someone you know is experiencing signs of a mental health crisis, support is available:
| Date Taken: | 09.10.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 09.11.2026 15:40 |
| Story ID: | 574477 |
| Location: | PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, COLORADO, US |
| Web Views: | 15 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Guarding Our Own: Strengthening Connection Across the Force, by Abigail Behan, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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