The Oklahoma Army National Guard is giving resiliency training to as many Citizen-Soldiers as possible in preparation for an upcoming deployment to Afghanistan.
Members of the 45th Infantry Brigade Combat Team have adopted a program known as Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training or ASIST.
“The 45th IBCT’s goal is to have at least 100 Soldiers as well as key leaders and Soldiers in the medical field trained in ASIST,” said Army Maj. Brad Hanna, 45th IBCT Chaplain.
“Usually, only chaplains and medical personnel receive this training, but with this amount of people trained, there should be at least two people per company trained to combat suicide.”
The 45th IBCT initially had seven chaplains trained in ASIST for more than 3,000 Soldiers deploying to Afghanistan. Since November, there have been more than 50 Soldiers trained with at least 50 more scheduled to participate in the next two ASIST courses.
“This is a crucial time to offer ASIST to as many people as possible,” said Hanna.
“One reason the training is being pushed is the upward trend in suicides. In the first 10 months of 2010, 86 members of the National Guard had committed suicide compared to 48 for all of 2009.”
“ASIST is an excellent tool and can be used for the military and civilian life as well,” said Army Capt. Claude Shue, 45th Brigade Special Troops Battalion Chaplain. “Meaning the more people trained, the more lives saved.”
“ASIST is much different than the suicide prevention classes required of all Soldiers,” said Hanna.
While suicide prevention classes focus more on the prevention of suicide, ASIST focuses more on intervention, preparing Soldiers and key leaders to recognize suicidal behavior and how to deal with these behaviors.
Hanna said there are many reasons why Soldiers commit suicide and everyone is different. He said, “What could be the end of the world for one person could be a little mole hill for someone else and suicide is just one of the ways they feel they can end their pain.”
“Suicide affects more than just the person thinking about suicide. It affects family, friends, co-workers as well as the mission. We want to get the Soldier back to life as well as back to the war fight,” said Army Capt. Jason Davis, 700th Brigade Support Battalion Chaplain.
Suicide intervention can be a difficult task in the National Guard because some Soldiers are afraid to confide in anyone about their thoughts due to the fear of being seen as weak or even fear of being discharged from the military, says Hanna.
However, Hanna said times have changed and Soldiers seeking help are no longer seen as weak individuals but strong for having the courage to ask for help.
“By training more Soldiers in ASIST, chaplains of the 45th IBCT are trying to reach everyone, wanting them to know life is worth living and there are always reasons to live,” said Hanna.
If a Soldier wants to talk to someone while deployed, but doesn’t want their fellow Soldiers to know about the troubles they are having, they can confide in a military chaplain. Chaplains are bound by confidentiality and can not divulge any information a Soldier shares with them.
“The 45th IBCT is doing everything possible to combat suicide,” said Hannah. “We know we can’t stop every single suicide, which is why we are training as many people as possible.”
If you or someone you know is showing signs of emotional distress please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK.