September is National Suicide Prevention Month and the theme this year is "1 Small Act."

Understanding suicidal issues and mental health is one of the first steps in suicide prevention. The American military community in Singapore has proactive resources to help people understand the issues surrounding suicide. For this team of dedicated professionals, their task is very important. The campaign, "1 Small Act," is focused on people connecting with other people, promotes the importance of small acts of caring, and helps show Sailors that they care about one another.

"Everyone is at risk for suicide, and we all deal with life challenges and stresses differently," said Chief Information Systems Technician Seng Dara, the suicide prevention coordinator for Singapore Area Coordinator. "Suicides affect commands, divisions, families and the Navy, and our job is to make sure that we can all raise awareness within the community and make every attempt to prevent future tragedies."

For Dara and his team, their goal this year is to ensure everyone in the community has all the resources and tools needed for prevention and intervention strategies. Despite having these tools, the difficulties can lie in trying to identify personnel at risk for suicide.

"There are many factors to consider, including relationship problems, personal or professional loss, recent career changes, legal problems, or even financial burden," Dara said. "There are also many other factors that I have not listed, but this gives you a basic idea of some of the common ones."

By knowing these signs and by keeping an open line of communication among coworkers, friends and families, the ability to intervene can be easier.

"As Sailors, individuals, and as friends, we need to look out for each other and recognize the situation and step in to offer support or resources to those in need," Dara said. "Sometimes we miss the blatant signs of someone struggling with stress or having thoughts of suicide. We need to have these talks with our Sailors or coworkers to get to know them, and once we know them better, we can see these signs better and act when necessary."

For the Sembawang military community, there are several resources available for anyone in need. The chaplains in the community are very open to talk with anyone, as well as the Fleet and Family Readiness Office.

For more information on Suicide Prevention in the U.S. Navy, visit the Navy Suicide Prevention Program website at http://www.suicide.navy.mil.

For information on Operational Stress Control in the U.S. Navy, visit http://www.facebook.com/navstress.

For more information, visit http://www.navy.mil, http://www.facebook.com/usnavy, or http://www.twitter.com/usnavy.

For more news from Commander, Task Force 73, visit http://www.navy.mil/.