To stem a rise in airmen suicides, Air Combat Command has launched a Comprehensive Airman Fitness Program, a proactive, multifaceted initiative to support those who feel weighed down by the physical burdens and emotional stresses of the enduring wars. “We are a nation at war and the demands placed on our people and their families are higher than ever,” Gen. William Fraser, ACC commander, told attendees Feb. 19 at AFA’s Air Warfare Symposium in Orlando. He said the program aims to improve airmen’s well-being at all levels—physical, mental, social, and spiritual—strengthen their readiness, and enhance the balance in their lives “before irrevocable damage occurs.” He said these are not just hollow buzz words; rather, they reflect ACC’s highest priority: taking care its people. (Comprehensive Airman Fitness Program Web page)
A provision in the fiscal 2025 defense policy bill will require the Defense Department to include the military occupational specialty of service members who die by suicide in its annual report on suicide deaths, though it remains to be seen how much data the department will actually disclose.