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 | Nov. 22, 2010

Army Guard enlisted leader stresses the ‘New Norm’

By Army Sgt. 1st Class Jon Soucy National Guard Bureau

ARLINGTON, Va., - Soldiers who faced mental health issues in the past may have been hesitant to ask for help, because of a fear of being stigmatized or suffering from other adverse effects, such as not being promoted or being blocked from leadership positions.

Soldiers in the Army National Guard now must adopt the “New Norm,” which makes asking for assistance a priority, Command Sgt. Maj. Richard Burch, the command sergeant major of the Army National Guard, said in a memorandum to first-line leaders dated Nov. 19.

“The New Norm is the expectation that our Soldiers, families and employers speak up and ask for assistance when they face a challenge that they cannot resolve themselves,” he said.

The policy seeks to counteract negative stereotypes that some may have toward those who seek help.

“The failure to seek or provide assistance is unacceptable,” said Burch.  “Seeking and providing it is what we expect and encourage.”

Burch likened it to having a flat tire on the highway. While most are able to change the flat tire for the spare tire on their own, he said, that is a temporary solution.

To fix the flat tire itself, the help of a professional is needed.

“Very few are able to fix the flat tire without assistance from a professional, the service department employee trained to patch and repair flat tires,” said Burch. “It is not a sign of weakness (to ask for that help).  We should know our limitations and seek assistance when we have exceeded our abilities.”

Burch also encouraged Soldiers to use the Buddy-to-Buddy or Peer-to-Peer programs in addition to professional services.

The goal is that they ask for help rather than try and work through problems on their own.

“When reaching out to a buddy or peer and seeking out the professionals becomes the norm, we can proclaim success,” said Burch. “The ultimate goal is to find an acceptable solution before an issue becomes a problem.”

The “New Norm” policy is also something that ties in directly with the Army’s Warrior Ethos of mission first, never quitting or accepting defeat and helping other warriors when they need it, said Burch.

Embracing the policy as part of the Warrior Ethos is one of the ways leaders can ensure the “New Norm” becomes just that.

“We must establish that not seeking help is a behavior that is unacceptable,” said Burch. “We value each member of the (team) too much to leave them stranded beside the road.  Most of all, we will not tolerate any mistreatment of those who seek help. The Warrior Ethos demonstrates every facet of this expectation.”

Burch said the more leaders engage with and know those under their command, the better prepared the entire team will be to provide help if needed.

“We expect all (leaders) … to be engaged in knowing their team, reaching out to the team, helping when we can, and guiding each other to the professionals that are available through the resources available in our network of providers,” said Burch. 

And that starts with the senior leadership of the Army Guard.

“The leadership of the A-Team (Army Guard Soldiers, their families and employers) is committed to moving forward with this expectation as the ‘New Norm,’” said Burch.

 

 

Related Articles
U.S. Soldiers with the Army National Guard speak with D.C. locals while patrolling Metro Center Aug 26, 2025. About 2,000 National Guard members are supporting the D.C. Safe and Beautiful mission providing critical support to the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department in ensuring the safety of all who live, work, and visit the District.
Guard Members From Six States, D.C. on Duty in Washington in Support of Local, Fed Authorities
By Sgt. 1st Class Jon Soucy, | Aug. 29, 2025
WASHINGTON – More than 2,000 National Guard Soldiers and Airmen from six states and the District of Columbia are on duty in Washington as part of Joint Task Force – District of Columbia in support of local and federal...

Lt. Gen. H. Steven Blum, chief of the National Guard Bureau, Maj. Gen. Russel Honore, Task Force Katrina commander, and Brig. Gen. John Basilica, 256th Infantry Brigade Combat Team commander, talk to news media during the aftermath of Hurricane Rita on Sep. 29, 2005. Basilica was appointed commander of Task Force Pelican, responsible for coordinating National Guard hurricane response efforts across the State. The task force included tens of thousands of National Guard Soldiers from Louisiana and other states.
Louisiana Guard’s Tiger Brigade Marks 20th Anniversary of Redeployment and Hurricane Response
By Rhett Breerwood, | Aug. 29, 2025
NEW ORLEANS – This fall, the Louisiana National Guard’s 256th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, known as the Tiger Brigade, commemorates the 20th anniversary of its redeployment from Iraq in September 2005, coinciding with the...

Alaska Air National Guard HH-60G Pave Hawk aviators and Guardian Angels, assigned to the 210th and 212th Rescue Squadrons, respectively, conduct a hoist rescue demonstration while participating in a multi-agency hoist symposium at Bryant Army Airfield on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, July 22, 2025. The symposium, hosted by Alaska Army National Guard aviators assigned to Golf Company, 2-211th General Support Aviation Battalion, included U.S. Coast Guard crews assigned to Sector Western Alaska and U.S. Arctic out of Air Stations Kodiak and Sitka, Alaska Air National Guardsmen with the 176th Wing rescue squadrons, U.S. Army aviators from Fort Wainwright’s 1-52nd General Support Aviation Battalion, Alaska State Troopers, and civilian search and rescue professional volunteers from the Alaska Mountain Rescue Group. The collaborative training drew on the participants’ varied backgrounds, experiences, and practices, to enhance hoist proficiency and collective readiness when conducting life-saving search and rescue missions in Alaska’s vast and austere terrain. (Alaska Army National Guard photo by Alejandro Peña)
Alaska Air Guard Conducts Multiple Hoist Rescues of Stranded Rafters on Kichatna River
By Staff Sgt. Seth LaCount, | Aug. 29, 2025
JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska — Alaska Air National Guard members with the 176th Wing rescued three rafters Aug. 28 after their raft flipped over on the Kichatna River.The Alaska Rescue Coordination Center opened...