National Guard trying to better address suicides by service members
January 16, 2014
Suicide has been an increasing problem among both active-duty soldiers and members of the National Guard and Reserve.One of the difficulties in preventing suicide among Guard members is lack of daily contact with other service members, according to Gen. Frank J. Grass, member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and chief of the National Guard Bureau. “You don’t see someone every day,” said Grass. “You may see them once a week or on a drill weekend.” To try to address the increasing suicide rate, the National Guard is working to integrate mental health professionals into its ranks. The Air Guard is creating civilian positions within the Guard rather than hiring professionals on a contract basis so they will understand the community and its demographics better. In addition, a provision was included in a recently passed defense bill that makes suicide prevention part of a pilot program to improve mental health in the Guard.