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DOD: Suicide prevention is ongoing issue for all personnel
October 27, 2021 — The health and well-being of service members, Department of Defense civilian employees and families is paramount for force readiness, said the undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness Gilbert R. Cisneros Jr. on Oct. 25... MORE

Following report, DOD to redouble suicide prevention efforts
October 1, 2021 — Due to the "troubling" findings from the Defense Department Annual Suicide Report, the DOD will redouble its efforts to provide care and resources for all who need it and will work to reduce stigmas and barriers to care, the secretary of defense said... MORE

Relationships, connections, support critical to preventing suicide
September 15, 2021 — Challenges created by the pandemic have left many feeling stressed and isolated. During times like these, relationships and interpersonal connections to family and friends are vital to a person’s wellbeing... MORE

Relationships, connections and support critical to preventing suicide

JBSA members inspire others on We Care Day
April 16, 2021 — We Care Day is part of the Airman Comprehensive Fitness program that focuses on suicide awareness to assure wellness through prevention, education and intervention... MORE

Volunteers hold signs in support of the We Care Day event April. 16, 2021, at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, Texas. The event was in support of Month of the Military Child and Child Abuse awareness month.

AFICC delivers innovative virtual reality suicide prevention training to save lives
March 18, 2021 — With a rise in suicides across the service, the Air Force Installation Contracting Center is helping leaders fast-track a pilot program at Air Mobility Command to help save lives... MORE

A participant in a virtual reality suicide prevention training pilot program sits while wearing a virtual reality headset and holding a virtual reality controller.

‘You are important’ - JBSA Suicide Prevention Program reaches out
March 12, 2021 — In the midst of the Coronavirus pandemic, the Joint Base San Antonio Suicide Prevention Program has not stopped its life-saving efforts. They have simply reconfigured them to be flexible and meet people’s needs during a difficult time. ... MORE

In the midst of the Coronavirus pandemic, the Joint Base San Antonio Suicide Prevention Program has not stopped its life-saving efforts. They have simply reconfigured them to be flexible and meet people’s needs during a difficult time.

JBSA Army Substance Abuse Program hosts suicide prevention webinar
December 14, 2020 — The Joint Base San Antonio Army Substance Abuse Program hosted a Suicide in Schools: Prevention and Intervention webinar Dec. 3... MORE

U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Aaron Gibson, 737th Training Group military training consult training NCOIC, holds signs in support of the We Care Day event Sept. 10, 2020, at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland.

JBSA Suicide Prevention Taskforce coordinates resources
October 1, 2020 — Saving lives is the mission of the Joint Base San Antonio Suicide Prevention Task Force. ... MORE

Joint Base San Antonio's Suicide Prevention Task Force

Commentary: Connect to protect
September 22, 2020 — September is Suicide Prevention Month. What can you do to help?... MORE

Graphic shows a road leading two directions - one to suicide the other to support.

‘We Care’ message resonates throughout JBSA community
September 14, 2020 — Signs proclaiming “We Care” greeted motorists as they entered the gates of Joint Base San Antonio installations on an unseasonably cool Sept. 10 morning... MORE

Master Sgt. Tiffany Arrington, 12th Operations Group first sergeant, waves at people driving past her during the “We Care” event at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph Sept. 10.

Commentary: Listening and leadership can save lives
July 28, 2020 — Tech. Sgt. Daniel Rakowski knows what it feels like to lose a friend to suicide and never wants to experience it again. In 2012, a friend who had recently separated from the Army died by suicide. Rakowski saw firsthand how the Soldier’s death so deeply affected those around him – his family, his friends and Rakowski himself... MORE

Lt. Col. Scott Christensen, 331st Training Squadron commander, holds a positive message of support at a base gate during the morning inbound commute as part of their new initiative, “We Care,” at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas.

Two days could mean a lifetime to a Wingman
August 6, 2019 — Airmen can find the courage to help from Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training, or ASIST, a suicide intervention skills training offered every month at Joint Base San Antonio. ASIST helps participants become more willing, ready and able to intervene with someone at risk of suicide... MORE

Armando O. Franco, wellness team lead, Air Force Wounded Warrior Program, instructs unit and service members during an Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training session, July 31, 2019, Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph. The training is a two-day interactive workshop that teaches suicide first-aid initiatives.

Commentary: Refusing to be a bystander
April 16, 2019 — The Air Force encourages Airmen who identify an individual considering suicide to use the A.C.E. model: ask directly if a person is considering suicide, care by actively listening and removing means for self-injury, and escort the person to a helping organization. For more information, visit the Air Force suicide prevention website at www.af.mil/Suicide-Prevention... MORE

The Air Force encourages Airmen who identify an individual considering suicide to use the A.C.E. model: ask directly if a person is considering suicide, care by actively listening and removing means for self-injury, and escort the person to a helping organization. For more information, visit the Air Force suicide prevention website at http://www.af.mil/Suicide-Prevention.

Combating suicide: What can I do today?
November 28, 2018 — Multiple Air Force initiatives are working toward a common goal: Empowering leaders and Airmen to increase morale, cohesion, and readiness by recognizing when Airmen need help, decreasing barriers to help-seeking, and creating a culture in which Airmen and their families thrive... MORE

Resilience is defined as how one “deals effectively with pressure, ambiguous and emerging conditions, and multiple tasks; remains optimistic and persistent, even under adversity or uncertainty. Recovers quickly from setbacks. Anticipates changes and learns from mistakes.”

22 and Me - Suicide in the DNA
October 12, 2018 — Many have heard of the ancestry and DNA service, 23 and Me. This organization takes your DNA sample and it breaks down the 23 chromosomes that make up who you are. It then provides your family history and identifies threats to your health as displayed in your genetic makeup... MORE

Commentary: Preventing suicide - starting with myself
October 2, 2018 — Other days, and even on good ones, the thought creeps up out of nowhere – an insidious sense of doubt. Of worthlessness and a sense of purposelessness that whispers in my ear and tells me that I will never accomplish the goals I have set for myself. The thoughts that make me ask why I shouldn’t just call it quits and end the sadness that plagues me... MORE

There is no timeline on reaching out to someone in need and you can learn how to be more aware of the subtle signs shown by those at risk twelve months a year. You may be the one to save a life.

Every Airman Plays a Role in Suicide Prevention
August 25, 2016 — The Air Force is determined to prevent suicide, but you don’t need to be a specialist or doctor to do that. Sometimes all it takes is starting a conversation. Everyone has a role to play. That’s a key... MORE

Every Airman Plays a Role in Suicide Prevention. #BeThere