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MOODY AIR FORCE BASE, Ga.—Suicide Prevention Awareness Month takes place every September and is dedicated to raising awareness about suicide in order to increase prevention techniques. Moody will be holding events and town halls throughout the month of September to help raise awareness.
Events like the Suicide Awareness Month kickoff are important, because close to 500 active-duty military members committed suicide in 2022 alone with 93 of being Airmen.
“It’s important that we continue these conversations about suicide so we can check in on each other and remind folks about the resources that are available for help,” said Jenny Reid, 23rd Wing Integrated Resiliency Office integrated primary prevention chief. “Mental Health affects all of us in different ways so it’s important that we take time out of each year to have these conversations about suicide prevention.”
The events that take place during Suicide Prevention Awareness Month are tailored to raise awareness and to get the community involved. Each event is intended to educate and inspire people to help those around them and recognize the warning signs that could lead to suicide.
“Besides the kickoff event with Tra Battles, we will also have two Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Trainings (ASIST) held on Sept. 4-5 and Sept. 18-19,” Reid said. “Additionally, we will have a town hall meeting where Chief (Master Sgt. Justin) Geers and Senior (Master Sgt. Derek) Longshore will share their own struggles with mental health and how to utilize resources.”
In order to achieve the intended outcome and understanding, involvement in these events is imperative.
“I hope we take time this month to really talk about the impact suicides could have on our community,” said Maj. Chulete Wallace Keane, 23rd Medical Group clinical social worker. “I hope that it will open up doors for many Airmen to talk about their struggles and how they overcame them or how they are still hurting and need a wingman.”
Suicide Prevention Awareness Month at Moody AFB serves as a vital platform for fostering dialogue and offering support to those affected by mental health challenges. All events this month are free and open to the public.
“Highlighting a month like this helps us see that there are real people out there hurting, and who have lost hope and they need us,” Wallace Keane said. “I think as military members and human beings, we should be aware of suicide every month and every day of the year because at the end of September, there are still going to be people in October who feel hopeless.”
For more information about Suicide Prevention Awareness Month please contact the Moody AFB Integrated Resiliency Office at 229-257-3402.
| Date Taken: | 08.23.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 08.23.2024 15:45 |
| Story ID: | 479338 |
| Location: | MOODY AIR FORCE BASE, GEORGIA, US |
| Web Views: | 26 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Moody kicks off Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, by A1C Iain Stanley, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
