Sept. 24, 2012 'An ounce of prevention...': Risks and Warnings Before intervention. Before support. Even before treatment ... there is prevention.The Air Force is committed to providing the best possible support, treatment and intervention resources for Airmen who have had their lives impacted by the loss of a fellow wingman or co-worker due to suicide.
Sept. 18, 2012 SecAF: Caring for Airmen top priority Secretary of the Air Force Michael Donley used his keynote speech at the 2012 Air Force Association Air and Space Conference and Technology Exposition here Sept. 17 to discuss the importance of caring for Airmen."Whatever the intensity of our nation's demands, in war or in peace, we have an abiding
Sept. 5, 2012 Relationship breakups may trigger suicidal thoughts Recognizing the warning signs of suicide can help save lives, but sometimes this alone is not enough. Some common indicators of suicide are depression, substance abuse (drugs and alcohol), financial distress and unexpected or uncharacteristic rage or anger.However, the majority of service members
Sept. 4, 2012 Langley Airmen to raise suicide awareness through community walk In the United States, a person dies by suicide every 15 minutes, which claims more than 36,000 lives each year. Suicides among U.S. military members have spiked this year, and according to Pentagon figures, it is the highest rate so far during a decade of war in Iraq and Afghanistan.According to
Aug. 13, 2012 Welsh 'humbled' to serve as Air Force chief of staff The Air Force chief of staff flag passed to the service's 20th chief in a ceremony here Aug. 10.Gen. Mark A. Welsh III, a 36-year Airman, stepped into the position, taking over for Gen. Norton Schwartz, who also retired from the Air Force during the ceremony."Mark is respected throughout the Air
March 7, 2012 Air Force "Doc" moonlights as Spokane "SWAT" He's dual-hatted, serving his country as an Air Force doctor and his community as a member of the Spokane County Sheriff's Department Special Weapons and Tactics team.Simply known as "Doc" to his SWAT team colleagues, Lt. Col. Thatcher Cardon, a 92nd Medical Group doctor, has been a SWAT doctor for
Feb. 21, 2012 Healing the injured brain: VA, DoD join forces on research to combat TBI, PTSD In recent years, collaboration has increased between Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and Department of Defense (DoD) researchers, especially in the areas of traumatic brain injury (TBI), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other psychological health topics. As many as 229,000 service
Feb. 1, 2012 Military Health System Works to Slow Cost Growth The $50 billion military health system will plan for its future by slowing the growth rate of health care costs, strengthening partnerships and focusing on prevention, primary care and chronic disease management, the Defense Department's top health official said this morning.Dr. Jonathan Woodson,
Jan. 26, 2012 Langley AFB’s resilience resources available to all online Chief of Staff of the Air Force Gen. Norton Schwartz and Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force James Roy signed a memorandum Jan. 12 directing commanders Air Force-wide to stand down to discuss one of the most pressing issues facing the force. At Langley Air Force Base, Airmen from every unit
Jan. 19, 2012 Anywhere, Anytime Support for Sexual Assault Victims The Department of Defense community now has access to professional help for sexual assault victims with just a click, call or text, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. In April 2011, the DoD officially launched a Safe Helpline, which offers access to victim support services online at
March 21, 2011 VA launches new PSA on suicide prevention for veterans Department of Veterans Affairs officials are reaching out to veterans in crisis and their families in a new public service announcement to raise awareness about suicide prevention resources, such as the Veterans Crisis Line at 1-800-273-TALK (8255). "As more veterans return from Iraq and
Feb. 17, 2011 Parents of suicide victim share story On May 3, 2010, Joie Gates' boss entered her office and abruptly ordered a co-worker she was chatting with to leave with him. Three uniformed Air Force officers then entered the room and Ms. Gates knew she was about to get some bad news. They told her that her only child, Airman Austin Gates-Benson,
Feb. 17, 2011 Global Strike Airmen save lives by employing the wingman concept Two Air Force Global Strike Command Airmen employed the wingman concept recently when they alerted base security forces to the suicidal thoughts of their friend and got him the help he needed."A life was saved in our command that day because immediate action was taken by two wingmen who were paying
Feb. 9, 2011 The Air Force Medical Service – What’s Next? EDITOR'S NOTE: This article was published in U.S. Medicine's "This Year in Federal Medicine - Outlook 2011." It is re-published here with the publisher's permission.We in the Military Health System have made ourselves a tough act to follow. Our achievements have changed the face of war. We can
Dec. 17, 2010 Comprehensive Airman Fitness: Mental health through military fitness The holidays are a time to celebrate, but can be very stressful. Waiting in line, heel-to-toe for the perfect gift, hoping it's not sold out. Jumping from flight to flight and having to put up with the long lines and airport security. Red holiday lights -- could be a reminder of bumper to bumper
Nov. 8, 2010 Air Guard adds psychological health directors Air National Guard leaders have created a new, wing-level position to provide mental health support to Airmen and their families before and after deployments."The Air Guard is the only service component that does not have military members who are mental health professionals or technicians," said
Nov. 2, 2010 Q and A with Lt. Gen (Dr.) Charles B. Green This interview with the AF/SG appeared in the September/October 2010 edition of SERGEANTS Magazine. It appears here with the publisher's permission.Q. How is the Air Force medical community bridging medical treatment for all Airmen? How does the Air Force "team" with the Department of Veterans
Nov. 1, 2010 VA officials taking life-saving campaign to streets Nearly 1,200 life-saving advertisements are going up on city buses, bus shelters, rail and subway stations across the nation displaying a message of hope for those who have served their country and may be facing an emotional crisis. Department of Veterans Affairs officials are advertising the VA
Sept. 15, 2010 More focus needed to end suicides, Mullens say A silent killer is rapidly infiltrating the military, claiming lives at an alarming rate each year.It does not discriminate, taking aim at the young and old, male and female -- from the battle-hardened Soldier to the new recruit."It's an area that can't get enough focus right now," said Navy Adm.
Sept. 10, 2010 "Creed for a Comrade" video promotes asking for help In support of Suicide Prevention Month, the Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury have created a video to promote DCoE's "Creed for a Comrade," a twist on the Service's creeds. The focus of the creed is that the best answer when having a hard time is to