COLUMBUS, Ohio –
Editor’s note: This is the fifth article in a six-part series as Defense Logistics Agency Land and Maritime prepares for the 2024 DLA Supply Chain Alliance Conference and Exhibition. The first four articles can be found on the conference page under the ‘in the news’ tab.
Attendees of the DLA Supply Chain Alliance Conference and Exhibition, scheduled for April 23-24 at the Greater Columbus Convention Center in Columbus, Ohio, will have an opportunity to learn about an important program – a topic unique to a supply chain conference – the Suicide and Trauma Reduction Initiative for Veterans.
The Defense Department and the Department of Veterans Affairs have identified servicemember and veteran suicide as a high clinical priority, with numerous efforts underway to address and prevent these tragedies.
According to the VA's 2023 National Veteran Suicide Prevention Annual Report, 6,392 veterans died by suicide in 2021. Despite accounting for about 7% of the population, veterans account for more than 13% of all suicide deaths in the United States.
STRIVE works closely with the Defense Suicide Prevention Office in efforts focused on service member and veteran suicide. It is the only research institute in the U.S. that explicitly focuses on developing, refining, and treating in the areas of suicide, trauma, and gun-related violence risk reduction. STRIVE conducts research, education, outreach, and advocacy for improving the lives of veterans and military service members everywhere.
DLA Land and Maritime Industry Engagement Manager Jeremy Swonger said the conference provides a valuable platform to reach a relevant audience.
“We serve the military community and we’re a significant employer of veterans…as are many of our partners and customers,” Swonger said. “We need to better understand the issues of suicide ourselves so that we can best support our associates, our co-workers and our friends.”
Dr. Craig J. Bryan, director of Recovery and Resilience at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, will provide a presentation on STRIVE the afternoon of April 23 and lead a breakout discussion the morning of April 24 for attendees to learn more and ask questions.
Bryan is a board-certified clinical psychologist in cognitive behavioral psychology and an internationally recognized expert on suicide prevention, trauma and resilience.
He is also a U.S. Air Force veteran.
Bryan deployed to Balad, Iraq, in 2009, where he served as director of the Traumatic Brain Injury Clinic at the Air Force Theater Hospital. He said his deployment to Iraq has had a profound influence on the questions he asks as a researcher and the work he does as a clinician.
“My military service definitely had a major impact on my career,” Bryan said. “It is much more than a professional interest. To me, it is a deep personal calling.”
Bryan added that much of what he has learned as a clinician and researcher is a direct result of veterans sharing their experiences – whether in the context of a therapy room, a research study, or in public forums such as the upcoming conference.
“Sharing those stories and experiences with other veterans is especially powerful,” he said. “It’s a way for me to communicate to veterans that our voices are heard, and our collective experiences are making things better for others.”
Bryan said his hope is that attendees will leave with a deeper knowledge about STRIVE and spread the word about the program to fellow veterans and family members.
More information on STRIVE can be found here.
More information on the 2024 DLA Supply Chain Alliance Conference and Exhibition can be found here. To register, visit https://www.ndia.org/events/2024/4/23/4780---dla