Pentagon spokesperson said the committee’s initial report is due to the secretary in December, and their final report and recommendations are due to Congress in February 2023…reports Asian Lite News
The US Department of Defence is seeking to confront spiralling suicide rates in the military when the experiences of Dionne Williamson, a US Navy lieutenant commander, shine a light on the realities for service members seeking mental health help.
After finishing a tour in Afghanistan in 2013, Williamson felt emotionally numb. More warning signs appeared during several years of subsequent overseas postings, the Associated Press reported.
“It’s like I lost me somewhere,” said Williamson, who experienced disorientation, depression, memory loss and chronic exhaustion. “I went to my captain and said, ‘Sir, I need help. Something’s wrong.’”
For most of the personnel, simply acknowledging their difficulties can be intimidating. And what comes next can be frustrating and dispiriting, AP reported.
Williamson, 46, eventually found stability through a monthlong hospitalisation and a therapeutic program that incorporates horseback riding. But she had to fight for years to get the help she needed. “It’s a wonder how I made it through,” she said, it was reported.
In March, Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin announced the establishment of a Suicide Prevention and Response Independent Review Committee to address suicides in the U.S. military.
“We have the strongest military in the world because we have the strongest team in the world,” Austin wrote in March in a memorandum that directed the establishment of the committee. “It is imperative that we take care of all our teammates and continue to reinforce that mental health and suicide prevention remain a key priority. One death by suicide is one too many. And suicide rates among our service members are still too high. So, clearly we have more work to do.”
Later in May, the Pentagon announced that Dr. Gayle Iwamasa of the Department of Veterans Affairs will lead the committee.
Iwamasa will lead a team of nine, which includes an expert on sexual assault and suicide, an epidemiologist, an expert on substance abuse, retired military personnel, a public health expert and a retired military chaplain.
Pentagon spokesperson said the committee’s initial report is due to the secretary in December, and their final report and recommendations are due to Congress in February 2023.
As part of their work, committee members will conduct a comprehensive review of the department’s efforts to address and prevent suicide. This will involve visits to military installations, focus groups, individual interviews and a confidential survey of service members at the designated locations.
Committee members will visit an array of installations both inside the U.S. and overseas. Included among those installations are Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada; Fort Campbell, Kentucky; Naval Air Station North Island, California; the North Carolina National Guard; Camp Lejeune, N.C.; and Camp Humphreys, South Korea. Committee members will also visit three facilities in Alaska.
Deliverables from the committee include both a report to the secretary of defense and to the congressional armed services committees. The reports will detail actionable improvements to policies, programs, processes and resources to prevent suicides in the military.
