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Suicide, Sexual Assault Dominate Military Personnel Concerns

Zero tolerance is the policy, but it remains a distant goal.

Non-commissioned officers (NCOs) from the three sea services agree that suicide and sexual assault are two serious issues affecting personnel that must be solved if the military is to maintain a high-quality force. Speaking at a Tuesday panel at West 2015, being held in San Diego, February 10-12, the NCOs discussed these issues under the title of “Mission First, People Always: How Are We Making it Work?”

MCPOCG Steven W. Cantrell, USCG, master chief petty officer of the Coast Guard, said the issue of suicide prevention keeps him awake at night. “We need to change the culture, [show] that it’s OK not to be OK,” he said, adding that he takes every Coast Guard suicide personally.

MCPON (AW/NAC) Mike D. Stevens, USN, master chief petty officer of the Navy, agreed with his Coast Guard counterpart on suicide, calling it troubling. Yet, he saved his strongest statement for sexual assault, calling it “the challenge of our time.” MCPON Stevens also said the Navy is looking to stop domestic violence among sailors and their families.

In terms of retention, he warned that the end of the wars in Southwest Asia may remove the element of patriotism that moved many young people to join the military after September 11, 2001.