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Friends, colleagues play role in suicide awareness, prevention

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Megan Friedl
  • 375th Air Mobility Wing public affairs
SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Illinois --  Airmen are not only responsible for taking care of the mission, but also for taking care of themselves and their wingmen.

Part of that care is ensuring that they are all physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually fit and well to continue the mission.

"The wingman is the first line of defense for helping people who are at risk of suicide," said Chap. (Maj.) Erik Tisher, 375th Air Mobility Wing Deputy Wing Chaplain. "The wingman knows what his or her friends, colleagues and coworkers are like normally. He or she is in the position to be able to see if there's a change of attitude, change of emotion or change of thoughts."

Maj. Michele Moldrem, 375th Medical Group Psychiatric and Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, agrees with Tisher that it is the wingman that can usually help an Airman out first and foremost.

"Suicide prevention is everybody's responsibility," said Moldrem. "Sometimes they just need somebody to put things in perspective for them."

The most common warning sign for someone who is planning to kill themselves is talking about suicide, a fascination with death, fascination of what it would feel like to be in another life or dwelling on a world that doesn't exist.

When faced with a situation in which an Airman feels that their wingman is contemplating suicide they should always remember ACE - to Ask, Care and Escort.

Ask the Airman upfront if they are thinking about killing themselves. Stay calm, but be direct when asking.

Care for them by calmly controlling the situation and by safely removing any potential weapons that could be used for self-injury. Actively listen to show them understanding and produce relief.

Finally, never leave the Airman alone and escort the Airman to someone in their chain of command, a Chaplain, a behavioral health professional, or their primary care provider.

Professional and highly trained counselors are available to Airmen at no cost to them. The mental health office, the Chapel, and the Airman and Family Readiness Center have the staff to assist and care for those wingmen.

The mental health office offers the ADAPT program, among their many services that help Airmen if they have a drinking problem. The Chapel also offers counseling and 100% confidentiality. That means people are available to discuss anything at all and the entire discussion will be only between them. The Airman and Family Readiness Center has Military and Family Life Counselors available for Airmen to reach out to, too. There are also many classes available there that can help Airmen learn coping and resiliency skills.

"If someone tells me that they're planning to kill themselves and is reaching out to me, then I think that there's a part of them that still wants to live," said Tisher. "They're actually reaching out for help and in every one of those situations I've been able to get them the help that they need. I've been able to help them to find other solutions besides suicide."

If you or someone you know is thinking about suicide, seek help with one of the many organizations that can help, or call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 (TALK).