Brig. Gen. Colleen McGuire really using military intelligence

Brig. Gen. Colleen McGuire just made me very hopeful by saying it depends on what works best, instead of just using what is there, she's searching. The military has a habit of searching for the latest and greatest when it comes to winning wars, but hardly ever seems to apply the same intelligence when it comes to what war does. She just proved it by this statement alone.

There are great programs out there, like the Montana National Guard have, plus some others, but there are also programs that don't work. In many cases, they actually do more harm than good. One I hope they totally abandon is Battlemind, but judging from the lack of reports on this program lately, I have a feeling they have been dropping it quietly. The other is Warrior Mind, which could have been a great program had they not fully understood the message being delivered ended up being yet again, if you end up with PTSD, it's your fault. Both of these programs could have worked really well if they had been thought out more and the developers heard the words being said through the ears of someone with PTSD. Then they would have known how much harm they were doing.

The other thing in this report is that Gen. Peter W. Chiarelli's words showed they still don't understand that PTSD comes after trauma, strikes the compassionate with vengeance and is a wound to the soul/emotions, that makes these men and women so wonderful and vulnerable at the same time. If they ever understand this then they will know exactly what to do and come up with programs that address the body-mind-spirit connection that is under assault. This is not all bad because at least he's asking what is behind it instead of ignoring it.

Schofield Barracks hosting suicide awareness event


Advertiser Staff and News Services

The Army in Hawai'i will recognize National Suicide Prevention Month tomorrow on Sills Field at Schofield Barracks with events intended to promote awareness of the impact suicide has not only has on family members, but also on the "Army family," officials said.


The day starts at 6:30 a.m. with a two-mile fun run, followed by opportunities for soldiers and family members to visit booths staffed by behavioral health experts, Army counselors and military chaplains.

"The most frustrating thing is trying to find a cause," Gen. Peter W. Chiarelli, the Army's vice chief of staff, told the Senate Armed Services Committee on July 30.

Among those efforts, which included a service-wide stand down and a series of chain-teaching sessions, is a $50 million, five-year study on suicide conducted in conjunction with the National Institute of Mental Health.

"It's not that the Army lacks programs to confront the problem of suicide," said Brig. Gen. Colleen McGuire, Director, Army Suicide Prevention Task Force. "The long-term challenge is determining which programs are most effective for our soldiers, and ensuring Army leaders, from junior noncommissioned officers to the most senior leaders, know how to help their soldiers take advantage of these programs."
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Schofield Barracks hosting suicide awareness event