Commander, Navy Region Southeast Rear Adm. Mary M. Jackson signed a suicide prevention awareness proclamation at the region headquarters on board Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Aug. 25.

The proclamation recognizes September as National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month and is intended to raise suicide prevention awareness throughout the southeast region.

"Suicide within our ranks is an issue of vital importance," Jackson said. "Each time we lose shipmates, family members or co-workers to suicide, it is a loss to the Navy, and these losses can be prevented. It is our duty to be aware of the warning signs and to be prepared to take action with those in our lives who might be at risk."

According to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, one person dies by suicide every 12.95 minutes in the United States. That means more than 40,000 lives are lost to suicide annually in our country. Death by suicide is one of the most tragic events a family and a community can experience and in the United States there are an estimated 1 million attempts each year.

The Navy's 21st Century Sailor and Marine Program Suicide Prevention Office's initiative encourages Sailors, Marines, commands, families, and civilian employees to empower themselves by taking personal responsibility for their health, wellness and growth - an important step in building resilience. The Navy's 2015 suicide prevention message "Every Sailor, Every Day: 1 Small ACT" stresses that simple, everyday actions can ultimately save lives, and uses the Navy's bystander intervention model "ACT" (Ask, Care, Treat).

The Suicide Prevention Office recently released a toolkit which can assist Navy commands and Sailors in the fight to prevent suicide. It includes ways to encourage peer support, personal well-being and bystander intervention throughout the year.

"In many ways it is all about relationships," said Capt. Robert Williams, Navy Region Southeast's suicide prevention coordinator. "It's about knowing the people around you and being as involved in their lives as you need to be in order to be an effective bystander."

For more information about the Navy's 21st Century Sailor and Marine Program, or Suicide Prevention Month, visit http://www.public.navy.mil/bupers-npc/
support/21st_Century_Sailor/suicide_prevention/spmonth/Pages/default.aspx

For more news from Commander, Navy Region Southeast, visit www.navy.mil/