AF suicide prevention standdown

EGLIN AFB, Fla. - Commanders of Eglin Air Force Base and Hurlburt Field, Fla., have announced local plans for a mandated AF-wide, day-long stand-down to focus on suicide prevention. The stand-down comes as the AF struggles with a large increase (78 as of Aug. 1 to 50 last year) of suicides. Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force Kaleth O. Wright: “We lose more airmen to suicide than any other single enemy," he said in a video message to airmen. In an Aug. 1 letter to all AF commanders, Chief of Staff Gen. David Goldfein set a Sept. 15 deadline for a “resilience tactical pause.” At Hurlburt Field, the stand-down is scheduled for Aug. 26. Hurlburt Field has lost four airmen to suicide since 2018, according to Lt. Steve Bodovinitz, public information officer for the 1st Special Operations Wing. “We need to take some time, talk to each other, and offer some ideas,” 1st SOW commander Col. Michael Conley said in a message to airmen. For the past two weeks, Hurlburt’s leadership has been soliciting ideas from airmen on suicide prevention. “There’s no one-size-fits-all answer,” Conley wrote, but he trusts wing leadership to pick tools that will be most effective. “I’m not naive. I know one day of talks isn’t going to end suicide,” Conley told Hurlburt Field personnel. Monday’s pause “won’t be a ‘one and done’ event,” he said. At Eglin, Brig. Gen. Scott Cain, 96th Test Wing commander, announced a tactical pause for Sept. 3. Since Goldfein’s mandate, Eglin has educated facilitators to assist airmen in holding conversations about suicide, Cain said in his announcement. In some instances, Cain said, small-group discussions have already begun, and conversations will continue through Sept. 15. (Source: Walton Sun 08/25/19)