WEBVTT 00:07.150 --> 00:10.020 Hello . I'm Colonel Nicole Ivers 00:10.030 --> 00:12.540 commander of the 102nd Mission support 00:12.540 --> 00:14.960 group and I am honored to bring you the 00:14.960 --> 00:18.150 september 2022 wing command message 00:18.160 --> 00:20.550 today . I'd like to speak to you about 00:20.550 --> 00:23.690 suicide prevention and awareness first . 00:23.700 --> 00:27.070 Why do we focus on suicide prevention ? 00:27.690 --> 00:29.780 According to the Center for Disease 00:29.780 --> 00:32.880 Control and Prevention . Suicide is the 00:32.880 --> 00:34.940 leading cause of death in the United 00:34.940 --> 00:38.450 States . Suicide among service members , 00:38.460 --> 00:41.310 veterans and their families is a public 00:41.310 --> 00:43.610 health and national security crisis . 00:43.620 --> 00:46.810 Suicide is a culmination of multiple 00:46.810 --> 00:49.910 factors and complex interactions . Yet 00:49.910 --> 00:53.350 suicide is preventable . Every death by 00:53.350 --> 00:56.540 suicide is a tragedy and weighs heavily 00:56.550 --> 01:00.540 on the military community For scope . 01:00.550 --> 01:04.280 Consider the following , nearly 46,000 01:04.280 --> 01:06.480 people died by suicide in the United 01:06.480 --> 01:09.550 States in 2020 , approximately 01:09.560 --> 01:12.600 12.2 million seriously thought about 01:12.600 --> 01:15.930 suicide . 3.2 million made a plan for 01:15.930 --> 01:19.300 suicide and 1.2 million attempted 01:19.300 --> 01:22.410 suicide . Those are staggering numbers . 01:23.010 --> 01:25.920 That is about one death every 11 01:25.920 --> 01:29.580 minutes in 2020 580 01:29.580 --> 01:32.210 service members died by suicide . Of 01:32.210 --> 01:35.370 those 109 were in the Air Force Air 01:35.370 --> 01:37.481 Force Reserve or Air National Guard . 01:37.970 --> 01:40.640 If the above statistics were just one , 01:40.670 --> 01:43.560 it would be one too many . So I'd like 01:43.560 --> 01:45.960 you to do something for me jot this 01:45.960 --> 01:49.030 down or type it in your phone to remind 01:49.030 --> 01:51.086 you to go back to look at it later . 01:51.086 --> 01:54.450 Ace A . C . E . 01:54.460 --> 01:56.420 Ask care 01:57.700 --> 02:01.560 and 988 if you can just remember 02:01.560 --> 02:04.680 that , repeat it if you need to if you 02:04.680 --> 02:07.850 notice a friend , a wingman or a family 02:07.850 --> 02:10.390 member is suffering , ask them how they 02:10.390 --> 02:12.990 are , if they say great but you aren't 02:12.990 --> 02:16.220 convinced , ask them again , ask them 02:16.220 --> 02:18.840 what's going on and listen to what they 02:18.840 --> 02:21.150 have to say . The listening part falls 02:21.150 --> 02:24.360 under care care for them calmly listen 02:24.360 --> 02:27.030 to everything they have to say express 02:27.030 --> 02:29.615 concern and make sure they know they 02:29.615 --> 02:32.965 can talk to you . Finally if they are 02:32.965 --> 02:35.185 in need of help , help them find that 02:35.185 --> 02:37.685 assistance , even if it takes walking 02:37.685 --> 02:39.655 them down the hall or looking up 02:39.655 --> 02:41.875 sources of assistance on the internet 02:41.965 --> 02:43.965 and being there when they make that 02:43.965 --> 02:47.220 call , we all need support at one time 02:47.220 --> 02:49.830 or another , be there for one another 02:51.270 --> 02:55.000 oh and 988 that is the number to the 02:55.000 --> 02:57.890 suicide crisis lifeline . Just as I 02:57.890 --> 03:00.670 want you to remember a C E . I want you 03:00.670 --> 03:04.180 to remember 988 , call it if you or a 03:04.180 --> 03:07.000 wingman need help . Finally , let me 03:07.000 --> 03:08.889 leave you with some ideas to help 03:08.889 --> 03:11.210 overcome tough situations that might 03:11.210 --> 03:13.490 come up in your own life when we are 03:13.500 --> 03:15.880 when we are stressed , it makes us feel 03:15.880 --> 03:18.430 like nothing is there to help having 03:18.430 --> 03:20.830 effective coping , problem solving and 03:20.830 --> 03:23.290 communication skills can make a big 03:23.300 --> 03:26.480 difference , seek support from health 03:26.480 --> 03:29.440 care providers , counselors or chaplain 03:29.450 --> 03:32.310 reach out to joe Garvin . I personally 03:32.320 --> 03:34.209 use the Director of Psychological 03:34.209 --> 03:36.376 health joe Garvin all the time whether 03:36.376 --> 03:38.900 it's for personal or to seek out advice 03:38.910 --> 03:41.860 to help in . Yemen stay connected . 03:41.870 --> 03:45.490 Support from friends and families can 03:45.490 --> 03:48.630 improve well being when facing stress . 03:48.640 --> 03:50.640 One of the things that we do in the 03:50.640 --> 03:52.862 mission support group to stay connected 03:52.862 --> 03:55.280 with our people is our leadership team , 03:55.290 --> 03:57.512 meets with small group in the different 03:57.512 --> 03:59.660 sections at a time in the group and 03:59.660 --> 04:02.160 provide breakfast for the year men and 04:02.160 --> 04:04.380 get to know our people by knowing our 04:04.380 --> 04:06.547 people . We can tell when something is 04:06.547 --> 04:09.510 wrong and get ahead of any stresses and 04:09.510 --> 04:11.677 provide them . The proper guidance and 04:11.677 --> 04:14.810 the help they need other things to do 04:14.820 --> 04:18.240 is practice relaxation . Um muscle 04:18.240 --> 04:20.670 relaxation , breathing exercises , 04:20.680 --> 04:24.190 meditation , stretching , yoga , 04:24.200 --> 04:27.130 prayers , listening to quiet music or 04:27.130 --> 04:30.420 time and nature get good sleep , poor 04:30.420 --> 04:33.080 or insufficient sleep has a significant 04:33.090 --> 04:36.810 negative impact on your health exercise 04:36.810 --> 04:38.980 regularly , cardio and strength 04:38.980 --> 04:41.420 training can reduce stress levels and 04:41.420 --> 04:44.040 keep your keep your mission ready when 04:44.040 --> 04:46.151 I'm feeling stressed or overwhelmed , 04:46.151 --> 04:48.318 I'll go for a run or a walk . It makes 04:48.318 --> 04:50.596 all the difference in relieving stress , 04:50.596 --> 04:53.720 get involved in passions , hobbies , 04:53.730 --> 04:56.570 activities that you enjoy . For example 04:56.580 --> 04:59.690 art can be a positive creative way to 04:59.690 --> 05:02.490 express feelings , I enjoy boating and 05:02.490 --> 05:04.712 there's nothing like being on the water 05:04.712 --> 05:07.940 on , it's so tranquil . Also avoid 05:07.940 --> 05:10.830 drinking too much and mixing alcohol 05:10.840 --> 05:13.390 and medications , it may seem like an 05:13.390 --> 05:15.900 easy way to decrease stress or can 05:15.900 --> 05:18.380 create additional stress and actually 05:18.380 --> 05:21.940 increase um stress and problems . Take 05:21.940 --> 05:24.570 a break from the news or social media 05:25.240 --> 05:28.150 if those activities cause you stress in 05:28.150 --> 05:31.390 closing , remember Ace Model , ask 05:31.400 --> 05:35.140 care and . Be the wingman 05:35.150 --> 05:37.430 you deserve to have in your life . 05:37.440 --> 05:40.090 Remember to take care of yourself . 05:40.100 --> 05:42.920 Practice stress reduction techniques in 05:42.920 --> 05:45.920 your own life , above and beyond all of 05:45.920 --> 05:49.320 that . Keep talking and keep listening . 05:49.330 --> 05:51.880 Keep connected to your friends , your 05:51.880 --> 05:54.710 family and your wingman . We are all in 05:54.710 --> 05:56.700 this together . Thank you .