A Pause

As an Army Civilian, we fall into a unique group.  We are a part of the military, but not.  We work side by side with military members, but are not necessarily subject to the same rules or the same responsibilities as the Soldiers.  We take an oath, but not the same one as our military counterparts.  Our educational standards are comparable but also not the same.  As trainers, we are tasked with helping our military members create better training and educational products for soldiers and military civilians too.
As a member of a military organization, when our co-workers are in trouble, as a team member, the civilians are also required to step up and lend a helping hand.  On Thursday this week, the entire Army had a safety stand down to address the issue of suicide in the military. The persistent conflict is taking its toll on the military and as an organization, we must address this issue and find a way to help our fellow soldiers that are suffering.  I know that this may not be an 'educational' topic, but as an organization, it is very relevant to training.  We talk about many topics in training and education:  What is the best way to learn? What appeals to a wider audience?  How can we enhance our products to make them more relevant?  But the most important topic in the Army this week:  How can we save lives?  The military does that every day.  Safety is huge.  Safety training is very widespread and popular, but the type of training going on this week, suicide prevention,  is much different. Soldiers don't like to talk about feelings or weakness.  This topic requires both and can be very uncomfortable and 'in your face'. There are many causes and I won't go into detail.  As a resource I include the link to the Army's website.  If anyone needs this resource or would like more information, please feel free to visit this site. You don't have to be in the Army for this to be helpful.
http://www.armyg1.army.mil/hr/suicide/default.asp