Commentary: Wanted: Nosey Airmen who save lives

  • Published
  • By Brig. Gen. Brett Williams
  • 18th Wing commander
KADENA AB, Japan --  The death of the Commander of the 3rd Wing at Elmendorf was a shock. Losing any Airman under these circumstances is tragic, but to lose one of our most visible Air Force leaders has an impact across our service. In the 10 days following his death, there have been at least three suicide ideations in PACAF. The hair on the back of my neck is definitely standing at attention. 

Suicide prevention is one of those areas where we as leaders devote a lot of our time. We have a regimen of training dictated by Headquarters Air Force and we have initiatives across Kadena to prevent suicide. Unfortunately, it is very difficult to determine if what we are doing has any effect on our goal of zero lost Airmen due to suicide. It is like fighting drunk driving. 

This year we have about one third the number of DUIs we had at the same time last year. Yet, we have spent less time this year as leaders specifically targeting the DUI problem. So I cannot explain why we are doing better. I have some theories but I cannot draw a direct line between cause and effect. 

Suicide prevention is a similar dynamic. Despite significant effort, we cannot prove that what we do has an impact on preventing suicide. I do believe I have one key data point. Last year on Kadena we had more than 40 suicide ideations and we lost two family members to suicide. 

One common factor in all of these incidents was that none of these people had seen any of our "helping" agencies. None of them had talked to a Chaplain, First Sergeant, Mental Health Provider or Family Health Consultant. On the other hand, a lot of people did talk to these professionals and none of them ever tried to hurt themselves. Can I "prove" this is the key factor? No, but it is hard to argue with the intuitive evidence. 

Our challenge is getting people in the door of the helping agencies. That is where the nosey wingman comes in. Good wingmen are nosey when it comes to the emotional health of their fellow Airmen. If your co-worker, neighbor or workout partner does not seem himself, ask if everything is all right. Sometimes it is enough to just ask and people realize that somebody cares. If you suspect there is more to the situation than what they let on, don't be shy about being a little nosier. Ask a couple more questions. If you sense there is more to the story, you need to let somebody know. 

Talk to your Commander, Chief, First Shirt, Chaplain or anybody in the supervisory chain. We have a lot of options and we can get that Airman the help he or she needs in a way that is right for them. We can do it off the record, off duty, off base...whatever it takes to make sure that Airman realizes they are here for a purpose. We need them on the team and we care. 

So pay attention to those you know well. Be a nosey wingman. There is a lot of work to do and we need every Airman to get it done. Thanks again to all of you for what you do every day in the service of our Air Force and our Country.