JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska -- U.S. Army Alaska Commander Maj. Gen. Bryan Eifler, and other USARAK leaders hosted a media roundtable at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson Feb. 25, 2022.
The general addressed the recent rise in suicides among Soldiers serving in Alaska. From 2014 to 2018, there were 11 Soldier suicides. In 2019, the number increased to eight in a single year, with seven the following year. However in 2021, the number of suicide cases spiked to 11, and an additional six fatalities are still under investigation.
“I want to give you a road map and explain our efforts to give the Soldiers and families of U.S. Army Alaska ownership of a purposely designed arctic force that yields excitement about serving here and boosts morale,” said Eifler.
Eifler explained that in 2019, USARAK leadership requested a Behavioral Health Epidemiological Consultation (EPICON) be conducted by the U.S. Army Public Health Center’s Behavioral and Social Health Outcomes Program. The purpose of this consultation was for leaders to get a holistic public-health assessment of factors in behavior and the environment which contribute to suicide rates.
USARAK took recommendations from the EPICON team as a road map for improving the quality of life for Soldiers and their families. In 2020, USARAK began their Quality of Life campaign, investing around $214 million to enhance and expand current services.
The improvements are designed to take a proactive stance combating risk factors through a new program, Mission 100. Mission 100 requires 100 percent of Soldiers in Alaska to receive at least one wellness check from Behavioral Health or the Military and Family Readiness Center each year. By tackling issues and connecting Soldiers with resources before they need them, leaders hope to better equip them to deal with problems and know where to turn for help.
“We had to start looking at things in a different way than we've been doing in the past, because what we were doing before was not necessarily working,” Eifler said. He added that leadership wants to focus on prevention, versus dealing with an incident after it occurs.
USARAK will also begin designing morale events for Soldiers stationed in Alaska that are aimed at instilling pride in the rich history of the units they belong to.
“Over the past 25-plus years, U.S. Army Alaska has expanded and contracted, and changed names, patches and focuses,” said Eifler. “With the advent of the Army Arctic Strategy, we are on a path to align our identity with purpose and long-term solutions.”
These are just a few of the measures being implemented to aid Soldiers stationed in Alaska. USARAK leaders realize this will be an ongoing process and are open to suggestions from the community.
“This is my number one priority,” said Eifler. “We have a lot of things going on in the world right now that we have to pay attention to, but this is what's hurting our Soldiers, so we've got to figure it out.”