Federal Daily - August 25, 2009

VA Says Service Groups Can Help Prevent Suicides

Veterans service organizations can play a key role in suicide prevention among military veterans, said Jan Kemp, national suicide prevention coordinator for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Speaking Aug. 22 at the American Legion’s National Convention in Louisville, Ky., Kemp said more needs to be done to prevent the approximately 5,000 self-inflicted deaths among vets reported each year. Although VA is addressing the problem by placing suicide prevention coordinators at every VA facility and maintaining a 24/7 suicide prevention phone hotline, Kemp said members of veterans organizations such as the American Legion can help by engaging their fellow vets, looking for signs of emotional distress and intervening when they spot potential trouble. She noted that the concern surrounding suicide is not just for troops recently returned from conflict zones who might be suffering from post traumatic stress disorder—but also for older veterans. “There’s no reason any veteran in the United States of America should die of his own hand because they think people don’t care,” Kemp said. To see more, go to: www.legion.org.

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New Air Force Civilian Professional Development Classes to Debut

Air Force civilian employees can apply for new professional development classes that will parallel leadership modules taught at the Air Force’s Officer Training School (OTS), the service announced on Aug. 21. Applications are due to the Air Force Personnel Center by Sept. 4, according to an announcement posted on the Air Force Web site. The Civilian Acculturation Leadership Training (CALT) program provides an in-residence experience at Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala., focusing on Air Force culture, mission and the role that leaders play in overall team success. “As the responsibilities of our civilian workforce have increased, so has the need for civilian development,” said Secretary of the Air Force Michael B. Donley and Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz in a joint memorandum. CALT, an OTS-like experience, will be a key development training opportunity for qualified civilians, the memo said. Applications for CALT are now being accepted from Air Force civilians in National Security Personnel System pay bands 1 and 2, GS grades 1 through 13, and Defense Civilian Intelligence Personnel System pay bands 1 through 3. Applicants must have two to five years of continuous federal service, hold a bachelor’s degree and not have prior military service. CALT offers eight class dates in Fiscal Year 2010, the first scheduled to begin Oct. 26. To see more, go to: www.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123164352.

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