TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. -- September is National Suicide Prevention Awarenes Month, and with that comes a reminder that resilience and building a support system is essential for everyone’s mental health.
507th Air Refueling Wing 1st Sgt., Senior Master Sgt. Jeremy Scoles, said all airmen should pause and think about who makes up their support system, and he explained that the Got My Six program started by the military’s Health Promotion Research Center is a good way to start.
“The Got My Six is an initiative to get our airmen to ask themselves if they have a friend or wingman that they can talk to, someone who’s got their back,” explained Scoles. “No matter who you are, life is challenging with lots of obstacles, so this program will help them find someone to be their wingman.”
The term, ‘Got My Six’, is derived from the pilot system in which directions correspond to hours on the clock, where 12 o’clock is forward and 6 o’clock is behind. Therefore your wingman is behind you and has “got your six.”
Scoles urges everyone in the wing to fill out a Got My Six paper, found on the resiliency table at the entrance of the 507th ARW Headquarters building, in order to put their thoughts into words. He asserts that this will help people realize whether they have a support system, or if they need to find one.
“Start with your office,” advises Scoles. “Talk to somebody that you connect with, that you have something in common with. If you don’t have someone, try to find someone to bridge that commonality gap.”
“We may have airmen here who feel like they have no one to talk to,” expressed Scoles. “The Got My Six program will help start that conversation to create a support network and find their wingmen.”
For more information, visit hprc-online.org