Maine Guard Works to Reduce Suicide Statistics
By Sgt. Angela Parady, 121st Public Affairs Detachment
In 2012, 349 U.S.
servicemembers
committed suicide.
295 were killed
during combat in
Afghanistan. That
number, shows that
the biggest threat
may be the enemy we
can’t always see, and
some are afraid to
talk about.
The Maine Army National
Guard is taking an
aggressive stance to try
and reduce these numbers
within their reach, and is
committed to expanding
their suicide intervention and
prevention capabilities.
Between 2006 and 2010
suicide rates in the ARNG
increased, exceeding
those of the active duty
component, the Army
Reserve, and civilian rates.
In 2012, the ARNG suicide
rate increased to 30.75 per
100,000 soldiers, from 27.28
per 100,000 in 2011.
“Intervention is the best
form of prevention we have
right now,” said Col. Andrew
Gibson, the Chaplain for the
Maine Army National Guard.
One of the biggest issues he
said, is making suicide and
depression things that are
acceptable to talk about.
Gibson and three other
trainers conducted a two-day
workshop at Camp Keyes,
Augusta in November to help
develop suicide-prevention
and intervention skills,
and working together to
learn how to put individual
attitudes and beliefs on hold.
The only person who matters
in a crisis, is the person at
risk. The course is called
Applied Suicide Intervention
Skills Training, or ASIST and
is produced by the Canadian
company, Living Works
Education, Inc.
The Adjutant General for
Maine, Brig. Gen. James
Campbell stressed the
importance of developing a
culture of understanding.
“The Maine National Guard
continues to work towards
fostering an environment
where it’s not only okay to
ask for help if you have a
problem it’s encouraged,”
he also noted. “Mental
health issues or anxiety
or depression, is curable.
For me, that’s the key.
Not only can you recover,
you can build on it. In my
mind, people who get help
can be stronger and better
afterwards. So we have to
change the culture at the
lowest level.”
Brunswick. “Just as CPR
skills make physical first aid
possible, training in suicide
intervention develops the
skills used in suicide first
aid. This workshop is for
caregivers who want to feel
more comfortable, confident
and competent in helping to
prevent the immediate risk
of suicide.”
The ASSIST workshops is
for any person in the Maine
National Guard who is in a
position of trust, to include
professionals, senior and
junior leaders, support staff,
medical personnel, youth
workers, and volunteers
among others.
Elizabeth Munsey, the
Suicide Prevention Program
Manager and native of
Brunswick, emphasized the
importance of life saving
measures.
Gibson, who works with
soldiers in a confidential
environment said the course
provides the opportunity
to better understand the
needs of a person at risk of
suicide and learn how to use
suicide “first aid” to connect,
understand and assist with
persons at risk, identify
invitations for help, and
listen to reasons for living.
This can be as valuable in
saving someone’s life as
a first responder during a
medical emergency.
“Crisis intervention training
programs, like ASIST,
equip people to respond
knowledgeably and
competently to persons at
risk of suicide,” continued
Elizabeth Munsey, the
Suicide Prevention Program
Manager and native of
“Every soldier is
taught basic combat
lifesaving skills and
CPR as soon as they
get to basic training,”
said Gibson. “They
are taught to save a
life in the physical
sense, so why are we
not teaching them
how to step in to
help a fellow soldier
who may be giving
off signals that, yes,
suicide is a thought
for them.”
Maine first implemented
the ASSIST program in
December 2003. Since
then, 288 individuals have
completed the class, and 73
of those individuals were in
the last calendar year, said
Munsey. The most recent
class was filled to capacity,
and then some.
“The increased number of
attendees shows that the
MEARNG is committed to
increasing the number of
ASSIST trained soldiers
within the guard,” said
Munsey. “The hope is that
these soldiers will recognize
suicidal invitations and
provide care until a trained
professional can arrive on
the scene. The increased
interest shows that our
soldiers want to have this
knowledge base to help save
a life, if needed.”