MOODY AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. -- In recognition of Suicide Awareness Month, resiliency agencies across the wing came together Sept. 16, 2021, to conduct a suicide awareness tabletop exercise with nearly 50 commanders and first sergeants at Moody Air Force Base, Georgia.
The event included two simulated scenarios – an attempted suicide and a death by suicide – to help the participants understand their responsibilities in prevention and to walk through the steps in postvention.
“We all have experiences, and we’re building our skillsets by sharing lessons learned,” said Col. Russ Cook, 23rd Wing commander, at the introduction to the scenario. “There’s a real human connectivity factor (in suicide awareness), and there’s no one else who does it better than the people in this room.
“I need you all to get rowdy in here,” he said about open-dialogue discussions vs. a slideshow-briefing format training. “And then you need to take that rowdiness back to your squadrons to educate your front-line supervisors on how to connect with people to help get after this problem.”
For an added realism to the event, the scenarios included situations derived from actual attempted and completed suicides within the Department of the Air Force. Medical providers from the 23rd Operational Medical Readiness Squadron led the discussion and encouraged participants to share their experiences. Professionals from supporting agencies, such as the chapel, mortuary affairs, casualty assistance, command post and the Office of Special Investigations, could then provide information as to how they support a unit after a suicide.
“As a commander, I’m ultimately responsible for the health and welfare of my unit,” said Lt. Col. Aaron Brady, 75th Fighter Squadron commander, and participant of the discussion. “I have trust and faith in my team that we’re putting the Airmen first and ensuring the mission always.
“My director of operations focuses almost exclusively on the mission, and my first sergeant and senior enlisted leader work together to focus on my Airmen,” he said about typical squadron responsibilities, “but my view is that all supervisors from the bottom to the top of the chain have a role in suicide prevention.”
One formulaic approach discussed would be for everyone to understand the cumulative risk when an Airman is experiencing simultaneous issues with relationships, mental health and work. If that Airman then gets into administrative or legal trouble, the risk for self-harm is increased.
However, since everyone handles situations differently, a more sincere approach is through emphatic human contact, a connection that only comes from talking to people face-to-face in meaningful ways.
That’s why this training conducted once every two years is so important, said Adriane Jackson, 23rd WG violence prevention integrator. Holding a collaborative discussion with everyone involved in suicide awareness early and often can shine a light on what could be done differently to strengthen connections with each other.
One way to strengthen connections is with active listening, said Phaydra Crews, 23rd WG community support coordinator and a master resiliency trainer. Airmen do not have to immediately recommend to someone that he or she should seek out specialized care. In-depth interactions can begin with simply talking with each other.
“Not everyone is trained in advanced care, but everyone can listen and connect on a real level,” she said. “Empathy and human compassion are important because not everyone shows obvious signs they are dealing with suicidal ideations.”
The Department of Defense conducts annual training to raise awareness of those warning signs, and there is a mandatory participation requirement from all employees by Dec. 31 each year.
“The Air Force theme this year is ‘Connectedness and the Role it Plays in Our Relationships, both Interpersonal and Professional,’” Jackson said. “This training was successful because overall, everyone now knows how we can all work together to continue to build connectedness from the prevention perspective and, unfortunately, how we can work together if there is a need for postvention.”