R 141600Z DEC 98
FM CMC WASHINGTON DC//CMC//
TO ALMAR
BT
UNCLAS
ALMAR 367/98
MSGID/GENADMIN/CMC (MRO)//
SUBJ/SUICIDE AWARENESS//
RMKS/1.  AS WE APPROACH THIS HOLIDAY SEASON, I AM HEARTENED BY THE
EFFORTS OF OUR CORPS IN EQUIPPING MARINES TO MEET THE CHALLENGES OF
THE 21ST CENTURY.  THE CORNERSTONE OF THESE EFFORTS IS THE
TRANSFORMATION PROCESS THROUGH WHICH WE TAKE INDIVIDUALS FROM DIVERSE
BACKGROUNDS AND MAKE THEM MARINES IMBUED WITH THE VALUES, STANDARDS,
AND ETHOS OF OUR CORPS.  OUR ABILITY TO WIN ON FUTURE BATTLEFIELDS
DEPENDS ON SUSTAINING THIS TRANSFORMATION.  IN THIS MESSAGE, I WANT
TO SHOW HOW OUR EFFORTS IN PREVENTION, PARTICULARLY SUICIDE
PREVENTION, RELATE TO THE TRANSFORMATION PROCESS.
2.  THE GOAL OF TRANSFORMATION IS TO DEVELOP MARINES WITH THE
CHARACTER AND AGILITY OF MIND AND BODY TO PREVAIL IN FUTURE
CONFLICTS.  TO MAKE TRANSFORMATION A REALITY REQUIRES A COMMITMENT TO
PREVENTING PROBLEMS THAT DETRACT FROM PERSONAL AND UNIT READINESS.
THIS MEANS WE ARE PROACTIVE IN COPING WITH CHALLENGES AND IN TAKING
CARE OF EACH OTHER.  BEING PROACTIVE IS NOT JUST A WORD IN OUR CORPS,
IT IS AN EXPRESSION OF WHO WE ARE AS THE NATION'S PREMIERE
WARFIGHTERS.  I AM SO CONCERNED THAT WE DEEPEN OUR COMMITMENT TO
PREVENTION THAT I HAVE DIRECTED OUR PERSONAL AND FAMILY READINESS
PROGRAMS TO DESIGNATE PREVENTION AS OUR "MAIN EFFORT" FOR ENHANCING
READINESS AND IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR OUR MARINES AND
FAMILIES.
3.  THERE IS NO HONOR IN SUICIDE.  IT CONTRADICTS THE VALUES AND
ETHOS OF OUR CORPS.  THERE IS, HOWEVER, NO DISHONOR IN HAVING
PROBLEMS.  SUICIDAL FEELINGS AND THOUGHTS ARE SIGNS THAT A PERSON
SEES HIS OR HER PROBLEMS AS SEEMINGLY UNSOLVABLE. TAKING CARE OF
EACH OTHER MEANS THAT WE HAVE THE COURAGE TO HELP FELLOW MARINES GET
THE HELP THEY NEED.  OUR LEADERS, CHAPLAINS, COUNSELORS, AND MEDICAL
STAFF STAND READY TO ASSIST.  PEERS ARE USUALLY THE FIRST TO KNOW
THAT OTHERS ARE HAVING TROUBLE COPING WITH PERSONAL OR PROFESSIONAL
PROBLEMS.  I HAVE SEEN MANY CASES THIS YEAR WHERE MARINES HAVE
INTERVENED TO HELP OTHERS.  THIS KIND OF ACTION EXEMPLIFIES THE BEST
OF WHO WE ARE.  IT SAVE LIVES.
4.  SO FAR THIS YEAR, WE HAVE HAD 19 CONFIRMED OR PENDING CASES OF
SUICIDE IN OUR CORPS.  GIVEN THAT SUICIDE AFFECTS COMPARATIVELY FEW
MARINES, SOME HAVE ASKED WHY WE DEVOTE ATTENTION TO THIS ISSUE.  THE
ANSWER IS THAT SUICIDE AND SUICIDAL BEHAVIOR AFFECTS THE WHOLE
CORPS.  WHEN YOU CONSIDER THAT BY THE END OF THE YEAR, WE WILL LIKELY
HAVE HAD BETWEEN 280 AND 300 SUICIDE GESTURES AND ATTEMPTS, IT'S
OBVIOUS THAT SUICIDAL BEHAVIOR IS MORE THAN AN ISOLATED EVENT.  THESE
GESTURES AND ATTEMPTS MEAN THAT EACH YEAR THE EQUIVALENT OF TWO
COMPANIES OF OUR MARINES ARE INCAPACITATED TO ONE DEGREE OR ANOTHER
BY PROBLEMS THAT ARE LARGELY PREVENTABLE.  WE CAN DO BETTER AT
INTERVENING EARLIER WITH THE PROBLEMS THAT INCREASE THE RISK FOR
SUICIDE SUCH AS ABUSIVE DRINKING, DEPRESSION, FINANCIAL AND LEGAL
PROBLEMS, AND RELATIONAL DISCORD.
5.  WHILE I NORMALLY PUBLISH A SUICIDE AWARENESS MESSAGE AS
PART OF OUR SAFETY PROGRAM PRIOR TO THE HOLIDAYS, I WANT TO ALERT
YOU TO A DISTURBING TREND THAT WE HAVE OBSERVED DURING POST-HOLIDAY
PERIODS.  OVER THE PAST 15 YEARS, JANUARY STANDS OUT AS THE MONTH
WITH THE MOST COMPLETED SUICIDES.  I CHARGE LEADERS AT ALL LEVELS TO
KNOW WHAT IS GOING ON WITH THEIR MARINES, PARTICULARLY IN THE
POST-HOLIDAY PERIOD.  WE SUSTAIN THE TRANSFORMATION BY COMMITTING
OURSELVES ANEW TO PREVENTION.  LET'S WORK TOGETHER TO MAKE 1999 A
YEAR WHERE WE SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCE SUICIDES IN OUR CORPS.  SEMPER
FIDELIS, C. C. KRULAK, GENERAL, U.S. MARINE CORPS, COMMANDANT OF THE
MARINE CORPS.//
BT