An official website of the United States government
A .mil website belongs to an official U.S. Department of Defense organization in the United States.
A lock (lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .mil website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Home : News : Article View
NEWS | Sept. 12, 2012

Suicide prevention: Reaching out a sign of strength

By Suicide prevention: Reaching out a sign of strength National Guard Bureau

RENO, Nev. - Service members facing behavioral health challenges should feel comfortable asking for help, Defense Department leaders said here this week.

Speaking during Suicide Prevention Month, senior leaders attending the 134th National Guard Association of the United States General Conference urged a continued emphasis on a culture where it is OK to seek help.

Asked about suicide among service members during a question and answer session on Monday, Army Gen. Raymond T. Odierno, the Army chief of staff, characterized it as one aspect of a range of health-of-the-force issues.

"The most important thing is about creating an environment, a culture, where people feel comfortable … that they can come forward and get the help that they need," Odierno said.

The Army has increased its requirements for behavioral health specialists, he said. "We're working very hard to fill those. … Our nation has a shortage of behavioral health specialists.

"We have to continue to expand the capability to deal with behavioral health issues."

Odierno cited pre-screening, screening in-country and post-screening services among a plethora of programs aimed at helping service members. "We take this issue extremely seriously," he said.

The key is vigilance to identify the signs that a service member may need help and to provide that help that they need, he said.

During remarks on Tuesday, Army Gen. Frank Grass, a fellow member with Odierno of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the chief of the National Guard Bureau, said people are the priority of the National Guard and the Defense Department.

"Exposure to combat, multiple deployments and personal stress have all contributed to a disturbing rise in issues like post-traumatic stress, unemployment, hopelessness and suicide," Grass said.

"These problems are not self-correcting," he said. "They will not just go away. They require the collective action of leaders across the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs and the private sector."

Grass, who assumed the chief's responsibilities on Sept. 7, pledged his support to National Guard warrior and family programs.

 

 

Related Articles
Arizona Army National Guard Sgt. Sean Smeltzer, assigned to Alpha Company, 49th Missile Defense, Ground Based Interceptor Security Company works on shift at Ft. Greely, Alaska August 13, 2025. Smeltzer is currently on a one-year rotation with the AZARNG, augmenting the missile defense site’s military police force. (Alaska National Guard photo by David Bedard)
Alaska Army Guard Forges Mission Success Through Resilience, Community
By Staff Sgt. Seth LaCount, | Sept. 9, 2025
FORT GREELY, Alaska – In the heart of interior Alaska, where the wind howls across the tundra and winter locks the land in 40-below darkness, Soldiers of the Alaska Army National Guard’s 49th Missile Defense Battalion carry...

U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Cody Ruth, right, and Spc. Joshua Hodges, center, assigned to the Tennessee National Guard, provide equipment to Soldiers at Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling, Sept. 4, 2025. About 2,300 National Guard members are supporting the D.C. Safe and Beautiful Task Force providing critical support to the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department in ensuring the safety of all who live, work and visit the District.
Tennessee Guard Sustains D.C. Safe and Beautiful Mission
By Sgt. Kalina Hyche, | Sept. 9, 2025
WASHINGTON – Soldiers and Airmen from the Tennessee National Guard are delivering essential sustainment support to Task Force Volunteer during the D.C. Safe and Beautiful mission in ensuring Guard members remain equipped,...

Sgt. Alex Beglau and Sgt. Geoffrey Machado, both assigned to 2nd Battalion, 162nd Infantry Regiment, engage targets while Sgt. 1st Class Andrew Graham, Staff Sgt. Michael Kissee and Staff Sgt. Tyrone Morris spot and score from behind at Boardman Training Area, Ore., Sept. 5, 2025. The range officers evaluated competitor performance during the inaugural Oregon State Sniper Qualifier.
Oregon Guard Members Train for Sniper Competition
By Maj. Wayne Clyne, | Sept. 8, 2025
RAYMOND REES NATIONAL GUARD TRAINING CENTER, Ore. – The crack of precision rifles echoed across the high desert as Oregon's best sniper teams gathered for an unprecedented competition designed to elevate the state's...