September -- National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month

[Chappie]

29 August 2016

Members of the Civil Air Patrol,

September 2016 is also known as National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month which helps promote resources and awareness around the issues of suicide prevention, how you can help others and how to talk about suicide without increasing the risk of harm. Suicide is the second leading cause of death in the United States for our youth, 15 to 24 years old, which includes the prime demographic of our CAP cadets.

I would like to invite all of our Character Development Instructors and Chaplains, along with commanders providing CD lessons at this time, to consider using a common lesson on this important topic. This could be done anytime during the month of September, but a very appropriate time would be National Suicide Prevention Week, which is the Monday through Sunday surrounding World Suicide Prevention Day, September 10th. I would also like to encourage all commanders to have this discussion with the senior members of their unit.

All the materials are located on the new www.capchaplain.com/resiliency page. Suicide prevention is a team effort because suicide is an issue we all need to face together and talk about. We must be "wingmen" to each other, whether cadet or senior member. Let's work to make this September the last time CAP has to suffer with the impacts of suicide.

The Chaplain Corps stands ready to support you and your units in this important work.

JAMES W. HUGHES
Chaplain, Colonel, CAP
Chief of the Chaplain Corps