10/29/2020
Military spouses and Family members who are looking for up-to-date and reliable information from the Defense Department can now access Military OneSource on their new smartphone app, My Military OneSource. Users can easily personalize the app by selecting "Service Member," "military spouse," "Family member" or "other," and then by selecting the closest installation.
10/29/2020
In September, six months into shelter-in-place, there was a noticeable shift among the students participating in rigorous language training at the Defense Language Institute at the Presidio of Monterey. Commanders referred to it as “the restlessness,” DLI Commandant Col. Gary Hausman says. That restlessness included an increase in suicide attempts. Hausman ordered a safety stand down to take place in late October, with half-day classes, a motivational speaker and small group discussions. “We are getting ahead of the issue,” Hausman says.
10/20/2020
The Army wants to know if emotion and empathy can help make Soldiers better learners. To do that, they’re looking for ways to “locate, track and trace” different learning traits through a technology development program known as the xTechSearch Brain Operant Learning Technology (BOLT) competition. Geared to Army medical professionals, the tech development program looks at how to “unlock the brain and maximize performance,” said Dr. Darrin Frye, medical simulation portfolio manager at the Army Medical Research Development Command.
10/18/2020
President Donald Trump on Saturday signed into law a pair of bills designed to help prevent Veterans suicide, including a measure to establish a new three-digit national crisis line similar to 911 for mental health emergencies. In a statement, VA Secretary Robert Wilkie praised the moves as key improvements in efforts to better reach Veterans in times of emotional or mental instability. “People in distress and in need of timely care should face the fewest obstacles possible to get help,” he said.
10/18/2020
Brave Rifles from 3rd Squadron, 3rd Cavalry Regiment, conducted “Thunder Games,” a competition- based fitness training to build trust in their squads at Fort Hood Stadium October 5-7. The training included eight different team-building stations where troops worked through physical stressful situations. Participating Troops broke their squads down into two groups. Soldiers from Lightning Troop, Mad Dog Troop, and Havoc Troop, along with coaches from Fort Hood’s Ready and Resilient (R2) program, were assigned to each station and observed them as they passed through each event on October 7. The training closed with small group discussions on lessons learned and a Tug of War Competition.
10/15/20
As the Army’s top enlisted Soldier, Sgt. Maj. of the Army Michael A. Grinston has worked to build stronger unit cohesion throughout the force by pushing his signature initiative “This is My Squad.” No issue has been off the table. He’s spoken about the positive facets of being a Soldier, how to improve individual readiness like preparing for the Army’s new fitness test, or ways to prevent sexual assault and suicide within the ranks. The TIMS campaign was designed to replicate strong, cohesive teams often found in Special Forces units, he said last October. A year later, TIMS is being implemented at all echelons of the Army, is consonant with Grinston’s vision for a more cohesive force, and even entered the virtual realm with a mobile app on the way.
10/14/20
Not only are people the Army’s No. 1 priority but, according to its top officer, they will also play a critical role in transforming the Army as it moves into the future. “The time is now to transform how we take care of our people, our doctrine, our organizations, our training, our equipment, and how we compete around the world,” Chief of Staff of the Army Gen. James C. McConville said during the Association of the U.S. Army Annual Meeting and Exposition. In his recorded remarks, the Army’s chief of staff took the opportunity to address modernization and readiness efforts, while primarily focusing on the force’s new top priority -- its people.
10/13/20
Secretary of the Army Ryan D. McCarthy recently announced that "people" will now be the Army's top priority, as the force works to give junior leaders more time to build cohesive teams. "As we took a closer look at ourselves over these past couple of months, we understand that the last 19 years of combat operations and global deterrence has come at a cost," McCarthy said during the opening ceremony of this year's Association of the U.S. Army Annual Meeting and Exposition. Senior leaders released an action plan that prioritizes people and teams, saying that people are the Army's greatest strength.
10/5/2020
The Army reported that the active-duty suicide rate has risen in 2020, following the implementation of stay-at-home restrictions in March. Army leaders cannot definitively attribute COVID-19 as the reason for the spike, but acknowledge the timeline coincides with the pandemic’s spread. Chief of Staff Gen. James C. McConville told Soldiers recently during a livestream from the Pentagon, “All of us go through adversity in life. And all of us need a helping hand.” Senior leaders have met each month to address suicide prevention and how to mitigate cases.
10/1/20
Suicide is a national public health problem from which the Army is not immune. People First is our philosophy. People – Soldiers, DA Civilians, Families, and Soldiers for Life – are our most important asset, and we are losing too many to Suicide. The Army is committed to identifying and providing services and support to our teammates who may become vulnerable. In the face of additional stress of a pandemic, we are working to improve access to behavioral health care while enhancing our resilience training and stigma reduction efforts.
