thedrifter
02-20-09, 09:08 AM
CREDO promotes suicide prevention
Sgt. Rodolfo Toro
CAMP FOSTER, Okinawa (February 20, 2009) -- Petty Officer 1st Class Jennifer Herman didn't know death was only a few feet away from her doorstep that day.
She still remembers the horror that coursed through her body that holiday weekend when she learned a Marine committed suicide in the barracks room just three doors away from her own.
"It made me feel horrible," Herman said. "I walked past his door with him literally hanging in his closet."
Herman said the incident reinforced the simple suicide prevention concept the Navy and Marine Corps have said all along ? to look out for one another.
"This is not about academics," she said. "This is real life. This guy literally died surrounded by help."
Herman said she does not feel guilty about what happened, however she feels compelled to learn more about suicide prevention to hopefully help someone else.
That incident, along with her duties as a religious programmer for III Marine Headquarters Group, III Marine Expeditionary Force, motivated Herman to attend the quarterly Suicide Awareness and Prevention Workshop Feb. 11 at the Chapel Center here.
Members of the Chaplain Religious Enrichment Development Operation organized the workshop as part of the III MEF and Marine Corps Bases Japan Suicide Prevention Program.
According to members of CREDO, the workshop was developed on the noncommissioned officer level under the premise leaders at all levels can make a difference in preventing suicides.
"(The workshop) helps to provide (service members) with the awareness of the scope and impact of stress, particularly in a military setting," said Lt. Cmdr. Duane Lawrence, a speaker at the workshop and psychiatrist with 3rd Marine Division.
The course focuses on keeping service members mentally fit, he added.
According to statistics presented during the workshop, there were 41 suicides in the Marine Corps during 2008, the highest in Marine Corps history. It was the second leading cause of death among Marines last year finishing only behind private motor vehicle fatalities.
Approximately 40 service members attended the workshop to learn more about suicide prevention.
Presenters used various forms of media and interactive discussions to address factors that contribute to thoughts of suicide and the positive measures leaders can take to prevent them.
The workshop focused on understanding suicide and high-risk behavior, stress management, building better relationships, healthy lifestyle habits, substance abuse, character building, ethical decision making and ‘psych first aid for warriors.'
"To be effective unit leaders, you have to increase your leadership skills," said Cmdr. Randal Craft, chaplain and director of CREDO Far East.
Workshop presenters represented various organizations on Okinawa that can provide help to personnel contemplating suicide. These organizations include the Family Service Center, Mental Health Services, Counseling Advocacy Program and the Chaplain's Office.
"(The workshop) provides information on how to access resources and identify resources for Marines in distress," Lawrence said.
In the words of Petty Officer 2nd Class Steven Nicholson, a psychiatric technician for 3rd MarDiv, the skills and resources promoted in the workshop help to "up-armor our forces" so they are better prepared to handle stress.
"We want to keep as many Marines on as many guns as long as possible," he said.
For information on the next quarterly Suicide Awareness and Prevention Workshop, contact CREDO at 645-3041 or by e-mail at http://credo.mcbb.fct@usmc.mil.
Ellie
Sgt. Rodolfo Toro
CAMP FOSTER, Okinawa (February 20, 2009) -- Petty Officer 1st Class Jennifer Herman didn't know death was only a few feet away from her doorstep that day.
She still remembers the horror that coursed through her body that holiday weekend when she learned a Marine committed suicide in the barracks room just three doors away from her own.
"It made me feel horrible," Herman said. "I walked past his door with him literally hanging in his closet."
Herman said the incident reinforced the simple suicide prevention concept the Navy and Marine Corps have said all along ? to look out for one another.
"This is not about academics," she said. "This is real life. This guy literally died surrounded by help."
Herman said she does not feel guilty about what happened, however she feels compelled to learn more about suicide prevention to hopefully help someone else.
That incident, along with her duties as a religious programmer for III Marine Headquarters Group, III Marine Expeditionary Force, motivated Herman to attend the quarterly Suicide Awareness and Prevention Workshop Feb. 11 at the Chapel Center here.
Members of the Chaplain Religious Enrichment Development Operation organized the workshop as part of the III MEF and Marine Corps Bases Japan Suicide Prevention Program.
According to members of CREDO, the workshop was developed on the noncommissioned officer level under the premise leaders at all levels can make a difference in preventing suicides.
"(The workshop) helps to provide (service members) with the awareness of the scope and impact of stress, particularly in a military setting," said Lt. Cmdr. Duane Lawrence, a speaker at the workshop and psychiatrist with 3rd Marine Division.
The course focuses on keeping service members mentally fit, he added.
According to statistics presented during the workshop, there were 41 suicides in the Marine Corps during 2008, the highest in Marine Corps history. It was the second leading cause of death among Marines last year finishing only behind private motor vehicle fatalities.
Approximately 40 service members attended the workshop to learn more about suicide prevention.
Presenters used various forms of media and interactive discussions to address factors that contribute to thoughts of suicide and the positive measures leaders can take to prevent them.
The workshop focused on understanding suicide and high-risk behavior, stress management, building better relationships, healthy lifestyle habits, substance abuse, character building, ethical decision making and ‘psych first aid for warriors.'
"To be effective unit leaders, you have to increase your leadership skills," said Cmdr. Randal Craft, chaplain and director of CREDO Far East.
Workshop presenters represented various organizations on Okinawa that can provide help to personnel contemplating suicide. These organizations include the Family Service Center, Mental Health Services, Counseling Advocacy Program and the Chaplain's Office.
"(The workshop) provides information on how to access resources and identify resources for Marines in distress," Lawrence said.
In the words of Petty Officer 2nd Class Steven Nicholson, a psychiatric technician for 3rd MarDiv, the skills and resources promoted in the workshop help to "up-armor our forces" so they are better prepared to handle stress.
"We want to keep as many Marines on as many guns as long as possible," he said.
For information on the next quarterly Suicide Awareness and Prevention Workshop, contact CREDO at 645-3041 or by e-mail at http://credo.mcbb.fct@usmc.mil.
Ellie