Gen. Peter W. Chiarelli, the Army’s vice chief of staff, said last week the Army needed to take a multi-disciplinary approach to dealing with the growing number of suicides within their ranks.
The new entity will be headed by Maj. Gen. Colleen McGuire, the Army’s director of senior leader development, and will employ representatives from the Army’s offices of personnel and human resources, the provost marshal’s office, and the medical department, and it will coordinate closely with the chief of chaplains, Maj. Gen. Douglas Carver.
“The whole idea ... is to identify a common theme,” said Lt. Col. Leo Ruth, a task force member.
Capt. Jason Blake, chaplain with the 21st Combat Support Hospital, 1st Medical Brigade at Fort Hood, was there for some of the planning sessions.
Blake said dealing with threats of suicide among soldiers is very common in his unit, and more often than not, the threats have less to do with the war and resulting post traumatic stress disorder and more to do with a breakdown in the soldiers’ relationships with their families or spouses.
“I have not dealt with suicidal ideations recently, but I have dealt with soldiers who’ve told me that the thought has crossed their mind,” Blake said. “Some suicidal ideations (thoughts) are related to deployment, but I don’t believe a majority of those are. We’ve found that a majority are relationship problems and affect all ages and all ranks. But it is higher among soldiers who are junior enlisted.”
The task force was created during the Army’s “stand down” - a time-out of sorts, that allows leaders to properly scrutinize their organizations and ensure their soldiers and their family members are aware of the issues that can lead to suicide.
Last year, nearly 140 soldiers took their own lives, and this year, more than 20 soldier deaths have been confirmed as suicides, while 28 more deaths still under investigation could be classified as suicide.
“As a soldier and a leader, I’m deeply saddened every time a soldier loses his or her life,” Chiarelli said, “but it’s especially troubling when a soldier commits suicide.”
Fort Hood officials declined to release the number of suicides that occurred over the last year, but added that III Corps Lt. Gen. Rick Lynch is keenly aware of the issue and committed to taking positive steps to eliminate suicide on post.
Lynch “is passionate about eliminating suicide,” said Maj. Peter Presley, medical operations officer for the III Corps Surgeons Office. “He knows the status of his soldiers hour by hour. If there is a suicide-related event, whether it is an ideation, an attempt or an actual death, (Lynch) will know it immediately.”
The current stand down will conclude on Sunday and commanders at the various units on post will conduct teaching through the various chains of command, which will continue periodically through July 15, Presley said.
Much of that chain teaching, which will include post chaplains, is expected to be submitted to the task force.
The task force is expected to make a report to Army Secretary Pete Geren and ultimately use that information to craft the Army’s suicide prevention campaign plan.
“New policies and reporting procedures will alert leadership to possible indicators of personnel at risk,” Presley added. “Ultimately the Task Force synergizes the resources and projects a unified voice and focused effort for suicide prevention and awareness.”
American Forces Press Service contributed to this article
