Space Force Confronts Rise in Suicide Rates

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (AFNS) --

The numbers are stark.

The latest data released by the Defense Department's Defense Suicide Prevention Office reported 94 active-duty U.S. military personnel deaths suspected or confirmed by military services to be suicides during the first quarter of 2024.

The numbers among Air and Space Force personnel have risen 41% from 2021 to 2023.

Suicide prevention is a top military priority every day, but takes on even greater focus each September, designated since 2008 as National Suicide Prevention month.Research has found that military suicide rates are roughly the same or lower than in the U.S. population generally but remain a serious concern in military communities. Service members and their families deal with a great number of stressors, experts say.

"You're giving up a lot of autonomy and control over the trajectory of your life," said Crystal Mabry, a licensed clinical social worker and U.S. Air Force veteran who works at Los Angeles Air Force Base. "You don't have a lot of say in where you're living, the people you're working with, the people that are around you, and sometimes even the job that you're doing. That loss of control over your own life is very different than what civilians experience."

Mental health awareness and suicide prevention are issues for the entire Department of Defense; including Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall. At USSF's Space Systems Command, they are top of mind forLt. Gen. Phillip Garrant, SSC commander, and Col. Andrew Dermanoski, Space Base Delta 3 commander; both leaders have spoken out about the issue.

"No one is immune from struggle, regardless of their level in leadership. I encourage everyone to talk to each other, check in on one another, and connect. You truly never know what someone is going through," Dermanoski said. "There are resources available far and wide, but sometimes all it takes is the simple question, 'Are you okay?'"

Air Force Maj. Jenneva Barrett, a mental health specialist at LAAFB, said the Defense Department's position regarding mental health has changed significantly since she joined the Air Force in 2006.

"Stress is a part of life, (but) it's not something that we have to do by ourselves, or hold in, or carry alone," Barrett said. "Life in general comes with a lot of weight, and none of us are designed to carry that on our own."

At SSC headquarters at LAAFB, the 61st Medical Squadron provides mental health services to thousands of active duty, Guard, and reserve military personnel with its staff of physicians, psychologists, and mental health specialists. Strong social connections and a sense of belonging can alleviate work stresses and so reduce the risk of suicide, experts say.

"In the military, every two to three to four years, you're relocating and rebuilding, in a sense, your social support network … in my mind that's the biggest stressor that we see patients for," said Barrett, who commands the 61st's Mental Health Flight, responsible for psychological health. "There is a resource for everyone and there are options always available; don't wait. Don't wait."

The medical team also works closely with the civilian social workers and counselors of the base's Integrated Resilience Office, which - like the 61st - also serves the Space Systems Command personnel who work at the headquarters office.

Although cases and case numbers are subject to patient confidentiality, the LAAFB mental health staff acknowledge that the number of personnel seeking assistance has increased in recent years. The professionals, however, say that is a positive development: it shows acceptance of the reality of mental health, and movement away from historical attitudes where issues were often ignored or went unspoken.

"I think we're just getting more comfortable giving that information, and with more and more resources available, asking those questions," said Barrett, who served for eight years as an enlisted aircraft maintainer before earning her master's degree in social work. "I think that we're getting more honest answers."

Service members may request a mental health referral for any reason, including - but not limited to - personal distress, personal concerns, or trouble performing their duties. They are not required to provide a reason or basis for the referral to their chain of command.

At an in-person and virtual "Ask Me Anything" discussion in July, Garrant, Joy White, SSC's executive director, and Chief Master Sgt. Jacqueline Sauvé, the command's senior enlisted leader, served as panelists responding to workforce questions about mental health issues.

"Don't take this on yourself to try and figure out," Sauvé said. "Stop by and see our medical folks to help point you in the right direction, if it is mental health support that you're seeking."

That is exactly the message that mental health professionals want anyone who is having an issue to take to heart.

"We want to make sure we're treating our mental health like our physical health, and prioritizing it," said Whitney Easley, a prevention analyst with the LAAFB Resilience Office. "We don't want anyone to feel afraid or apprehensive for seeking these resources."

The U.S. Space Force and U.S. Air Force offer a wide variety of mental health support services for personnel, including active duty and reserve military, civilian, and contractor staff.

Contact information for such services at various Space Force installations is listed below.

Don't wait.

SBD 3 (Los Angeles AFB, El Segundo, Calif.):
Chaplain: (310) 653-5080
Military & Family Life Counseling: (310) 658-2334
Military & Family Readiness Center: (310) 653-5290
Mental Health Clinic: (310) 653-6860

SLD 45 (Patrick SFB, Fla.):
Chaplain: (321) 494-4073
Military & Family Life Counseling: (321) 301-0406
Airman & Family Readiness Center: (321) 494-5676
Mental Health Clinic: (321) 494-8234

SLD 30 (Vandenberg SFB, Calif.):
Chaplain: (805) 606-5773
Military & Family Life Counseling: (805) 710-5988
Airman & Family Readiness Center: (805) 606-0039
Mental Health Clinic: (805) 606-8217

Det 1 (Kirtland AFB, N.M.):
Chaplain: (505) 853-5000
Military & Family Life Counseling: (505) 440-2481
Airman & Family Readiness Flight: (505) 846-0741

Mental Health Clinic: (505) 846-3305
Det 5 (Peterson SFB, Colo.):
Chaplain: (719) 556-4442
Military & Family Life Counseling: (719) 433-2671
Airmen & Family Readiness Center: (719) 556-6141
Mental Health Clinic: (719) 556-7804

Schriever SFB, Colo.:
Chaplain: (719) 567-3705
Military & Family Life Counseling: (719) 225-6003
Airmen & Family Readiness Center: (719) 567-3920
Mental Health Clinic: (719) 567-4619

Buckley SFB, Colo.:
Chaplain: (720) 847-4631
Military & Family Life Counseling: (720) 471-5752
Airmen & Family Readiness Center: (720) 847-6681
Mental Health Clinic: (720) 847-6451
Military & Family Life Counseling: (720) 471-5752
Airmen & Family Readiness Center: (720) 847-6681
Mental Health Clinic: (720) 847-6451

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