Thanks in part to the U.S. Army’s Ready and Resilient Campaign (R2C), launched a year ago, fewer soldiers committed suicide in 2013, compared with 2012, said U.S. Army Deputy Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Howard B. Bromberg: 301, vs 325 suicides in the active U.S. Army, Army National Guard, and Army Reserve.
The R2C is intended to “instill a cultural change in the Army by directly linking personal resilience to readiness.” The R2C promotes the development of a healthy mind-set and behavior through healthful lifestyles. It was designed to help integrate and synchronize multiple armed forces programs aimed at improving physical, psychological, and emotional health. R2C also includes the Comprehensive Soldier and Family Fitness Program (CSF2), which stresses strengthening of the entire family unit.
The R2C aims to reduce barriers and stigma associated with seeking help. “I am optimistic that more soldiers are seeking help and learning ways to address and cope with issues they may have,” Lt. Gen. Bromberg said in an Army News Service interview published on February 3, 2014. “I am very encouraged that we have hit a turning point where people are really talking about behavioral health. It’s OK to have problems, but it’s what you do about those problems…that is what’s really important.”
The U.S. Army has also expanded access to behavioral health services and increased pre- and postdeployment screenings to improve diagnosis and treatment. The R2C reviews programs, processes, and policies to ensure effectiveness and reduce redundancies. It also emphasizes the responsibility of people at all levels to “build and maintain resilience,” from helping commanders understand high-risk behaviors so they can intervene early, to supporting efforts to reduce hazing, bullying, and sexual assault.
