WEBVTT

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Ah , life is good . Special

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delivery .

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Congratulations , Sarge and the new

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baby , the divorce , and the new

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deployment .

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I give up . I'm Brigadier General

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Leland Blanchard , commanding general

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of the District of Columbia National

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Guard . We're committed to ending the

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silence around suicide . If you're

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feeling distressed , hopeless ,

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thinking about death , or know someone

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who may be suicidal , there's many

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resources available . The DC National

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Guard recognizes seeking help as a sign

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of courage and strength . Everyone can

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do their part in suicide prevention by

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understanding the signs of at-risk

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behavior and encouraging and connecting

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those in distress with those who can

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help . If you think someone may be

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contemplating suicide , don't be afraid

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to ask them directly , Are you OK ? Are

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you contemplating hurting yourself or

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taking your own life ? If so , connect

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them with the suicide and crisis

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lifeline by dialing or texting 988 .

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Capital Guardians answer many calls .

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The role of battle buddy or wingman is

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among them . I charge our leaders ,

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commanders , senior enlisted leaders

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all the way down to privates and airmen .

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Know your people and truly function as

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a team . Know that suicide is

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preventable and that building a culture

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of connection where everyone feels

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valued and supported is a shared

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responsibility . Strong , positive

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relationships are a protective factor

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against suicide risk , and connecting

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with others promotes well-being and

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resilience . I urge you to create an

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environment where resources are readily

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available and emphasize that the

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Department of War is committed to

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ensuring that soldiers , airmen ,

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civilians . And family members have

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access to the help they need . Remember ,

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the DC National Guard care Team QR code

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is posted at all DC National Guard

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locations . I encourage you to scan

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this code and save the contact

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information . This team is committed to

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a no wrong door policy and are here to

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support you . The DC National Guard

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values every life . Know your available

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resources and every one of our soldiers

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and airmen are empowered to take action .

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And remember , we live here , we work

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here , we serve here , always ready ,

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always there .