Fort Hood Sentinel (Fort Hood, Tex.), Vol. 72, No. 36, Ed. 1 Thursday, September 11, 2014 Page: 4 of 34
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EDITORIAL/OPINION
September 11, 2014
www.FortHoodSentinel.com
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Suicide prevention means looking
out for each other, Hagel urges
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America losing touch with its Army; about-face needed
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Today we remember 9/1 i. Do you think the world is a safer place
TODAY THAN IT WAS IN 2001? WHY?
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DO YOU HAVE
SOMETHING TO SAY?
Recycled material is used
in the making of our newsprint
Andrew Boston,
retired
Mike Delaune,
retired
Milton Draper,
retired
Sophia Orr,
civilian
Fort Hood Public Affairs Officer
TOM RHEINLANDER
Public Affairs Sergeant Major
SGT. MAJ. NICHOLAS CONNER
Command Information NCOIC
STAFF SGT. DANIEL WALLACE
III Corps Public Affairs Officer
COL. CHRISTOPHER GARVER
Command Information Officer
DAVID LARSEN
News Editor
HEATHER GRAHAM-ASHLEY
heather.graham@forthoodsentinel.com
285-6736
Photo by John Crosby, AR News
Members of the Indiana National Guard sing the national anthem at an NCAA Final Four basketball game in
Indianapolis. There are a number of other ways Soldiers can reach out to the local community.
Sgt. Ricardo Walker,
TxANG
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EDITORIAL STAFF
Editor
TODD PRUDEN
todd.pruden@forthoodsentinel.com
287-9495
COMMAND STAFF
Commanding General
LT. GEN. SEAN MACFARLAND
BUSINESS STAFF
General Manager
RAY REED
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634-6666
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BY DAVID VERGUN
Army News Service
BY CHUCK HAGEL
Secretary of Defense
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“It depends on what
day you’re watching the
news. I think we’re all
tired of war.”
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one of DoD’s
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“Yes I do. The mea-
sures we’ve taken since
9/11, the two wars
we’ve engaged in have
made America safer.”
To the men and women of the Department of
Defense:
Preventing military suicide is
highest priorities, and
something I’m personally
committed to as Secre-
tary of Defense. As we
observe Suicide Preven-
tion Month, we must
rededicate ourselves to
actively working not only
every month, but every
day to fulfill our collective
responsibility to watch out
for each other and take care of each other.
Human beings are fragile, and suicide is
“No. Because there are
too many terrorists - it
seems like we’ve taken
a backseat to dealing
with terrorism.”
WASHINGTON — There’s a growing discon-
nect between Americans and their Army.
A 2011 Pew Research Center survey found that
only 57 percent of civilian respondents, ages 30
to 49, said they had an immediate Family mem-
ber who served. The percentage dropped to
third, among respondents ages 18 to 29.
While a draft would produce a new generation
of veterans from across the socioeconomic spec-
trum, lawmakers and the military itself are gener-
ally not advocating that, for a number of good
reasons, including cost and a possible increase
in disciplinary problems, similar to those seen
during the Vietnam era. I saw this negative con-
sequence first-hand from draftees, after enlisting
in the Marine Corps, in 1974, just a year after
the all-volunteer force was only beginning to gain
momentum.
However, there are a number of steps that can
be taken to at least reacquaint Americans with
their Army.
In July 2014, about 100 captains from across
the Army met at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, with
the Army chief of staff to discuss, among many
other things, the need to reacquaint Americans
with their Army.
They brainstormed a number of ideas, includ-
ing visiting radio and TV stations to do public
service announcements, particularly around the
time of the Army birthday each June. The PSAs
could focus on why the Army is great, why
they’re proud to be a part of it and so on.
Radio and TV stations are usually receptive to
PSAs. There’s almost always someone at the sta-
tion who will be glad to assist, usually the person
with a military background or someone who has
a military Family member. I have first-hand expe-
rience making hundreds of PSAs in the 1980s for
the Marine Corps, so that’s how I know.
At that meeting with the captains, known as
Solarium 2014, Army Chief of Staff Gen. Ray
Odierno said: “One of the problems the Army
has is that it doesn’t talk a lot about itself and
what we’ve accomplished. We should be proud of
who we are and what we’ve accomplished.”
Besides doing PSAs, Odierno suggested going
to universities, Rotary clubs and other venues,
and simply sitting down and talking “about who
we are. People have misperceptions about what
the Army is all about and misperceptions even
about us as individuals.”
The problem going to universities,
“Not really, we still
have a lot of stuff going
on all over the world.”
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5
“No, it’s more tame,
maybe. We’re more
alert, but we have our
own issues
domestically, too.”
that single act can save a life.
If you need help, if you know someone who
is, or even if you just need someone to talk to,
contact the Military Crisis Line via phone, online
chat, or text message. Just call 1-800-273-8255
and press 1; visit www.militarycrisisline.net-, or text
838255. It’s free, easy, confidential and trained
professionals are always there for you - 24 hours a
day, 365 days a year.
The battle to prevent suicide cannot be waged
on a single front. It will only be won if we stand
together and take every opportunity - in our
homes, at our duty stations, and in conversations
with friends and mentors - to support each other
and be there for those in our communities who
need our help. By fighting as one team, we will
help prevent suicide.
Thank you, and your Families, for all that you
do for our country.
complex and devastating event that affects us all.
The painful loss of life and its heartbreaking after-
math spread beyond the individual and immediate
Family, taking a toll on fellow service members,
friends, neighbors, coworkers and society itself.
While preventing suicide takes all of us working
together, it begins with a personal commitment.
When someone is going through challenges
and comes to you for help, it doesn’t make them
weak. It means they’re strong, because asking for
help when you need it takes courage and strength.
What we need to remember - what our entire
country needs to remember - is that these brave
individuals shouldn’t be avoided or stigmatized.
They need to be embraced. Whether you’re a ser-
vice member, a veteran, a DoD civilian or a friend
or Family member of someone who is — you have
the power to make a difference. It only takes one
person to ask one question or make one call - and
7 xl
well. Best of all, though, is the good feeling you’ll
experience.
Soldiers on active duty, as well as National
Guard or Army Reserve, could benefit. Those
who separated or retired could be goodwill
ambassadors for the Army, as well.
Many, if not most Soldiers, are humble about
their experiences in the Army, especially during
wartime. So perhaps some practice with friends
or Family would help in opening up. People are
genuinely interested in hearing from Soldiers.
I constantly hear Soldiers and other uniformed
personnel getting “thank you for your service”
greetings from civilians over the last 13 years -
something I rarely recall before that time.
Soldiers can talk about anything they like: trav-
els to other countries, jobs, wartime experiences,
camaraderie.
An excellent topic would be the Army Profes-
sion, which is commitment, character and com-
petence based on values and trust - something
the sergeant major of the Army talks about pas-
sionately all the time and probably will keep talk-
ing about after he retires.
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11
schools for that matter, is that educators often
have negative views about the military. In the
case of high schools, success is usually measured
by the percentage of graduates who go on to col-
lege, not those who enlist.
One approach would be to first introduce
yourself and tell them you’re not a recruiter. I
taught high school and at the university for a
while, and I know that teachers and professors
often like to have guest visitors. For instance, I
used to invite local business leaders to speak in
my economics class.
History teachers might like a visit from a Sol-
dier who helped make history in Iraq or Afghani-
stan. English teachers might too for that matter.
The shop teacher might like to get a visit by a
Soldier who fixes trucks or tanks or welds. And
so on.
Besides the Rotary clubs, there are literally
thousands of non-profit organizations that are
desperately looking for guest speakers during
their monthly meetings. The bonus for the Sol-
diers is that these volunteer activities always shine
on resumes and a free meal is often thrown in, as
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Pruden, Todd. Fort Hood Sentinel (Fort Hood, Tex.), Vol. 72, No. 36, Ed. 1 Thursday, September 11, 2014, newspaper, September 11, 2014; Fort Hood, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1205001/m1/4/?rotate=90: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Casey Memorial Library.