This podcast from Military Times examines the alarming rate of military and veterans suicide, offering new insights based on research and effective clinical and peer support practices in suicide prevention. Hosted by Duane France, a retired Army combat veteran, author and mental health counselor, and Shauna Springer, a psychologist, author and nationally recognized expert on initiatives to benefit the military community, the podcast aims to move beyond awareness to identify actionable strategies that can impact the rising suicide rate among service members, veterans, and their families.
About this week’s guest
Michael Sugrue began his law enforcement career in the United States Air Force as a security forces officer in 1998. As a security forces officer, Sugrue specialized in law enforcement, global force Protection, anti-terrorism, nuclear security, foreign air field assessments and air base ground defense.
Sugrue served in a variety of assignments including: flight leader, flight commander, senior watch officer, chief of command post and chief of security forces.
Sugrue served all over the United States, Europe, the Middle East and South America. He was also a security forces Phoenix Raven with the unique identifier of #1173. Sugrue honorably separated from the Air Force as a captain in 2004.
Immediately after the Air Force, Sugrue was hired by the Walnut Creek Police Department where he served in a variety of assignments including: patrol officer, driver training instructor, field training officer, SIU detective, undercover California DOJ narcotic task force agent (Contra Costa County), public information officer and patrol sergeant.
Sugrue was awarded the Walnut Creek PD Distinguished Service Medal in 2014 for his heroic and life saving actions during a fatal officer-involved shooting in 2012.
Sugrue ultimately medically retired in 2018. He is now a peer volunteer at the West Coast Post Trauma Retreat (WCPR) and an ambassador for Save A Warrior (SAW).
Sugrue is a dedicated advocate for awareness, prevention, education, training on post traumatic stress injury (PTSI) and first responder suicide prevention. Sugrue continues to speak at law enforcement agencies all over the United States.
Links Mentioned in this Episode:
Join our Facebook group:
Seeking the Military Suicide Solution on Facebook
Shauna's latest book: Warrior: How to Support Those Who Protect Us
Duane's latest book: Military in the Rear View Mirror: Mental Health and Wellness in Post-Military Life
How to leave a podcast review
Leaving a podcast review at iTunes isn't intuitive. But positive ratings are hugely important: they help the podcast get discovered by new people. Please spend 5 minutes of your time to leave a review using one of the methods below.
How to leave a podcast review using Apple’s Podcast app
1. Navigate to Seeking the Military Suicide Solution on Apple Podcasts on your iPhone or iPad.
2. Click "Listen on Apple Podcasts"
3. Scroll down and click or tap "Write a Review." Enter your iTunes password to login.
4. Rate the podcast using 1 to 5 stars.
5. Submit a brief honest review.
Bonus: get a thank-you note
Your feedback is greatly appreciated. When you leave a review, drop us a line at info@veteranmentalhealth.com and you'll get a message with the warmest appreciation, and a bonus gift!
For Android users, Google Podcasts does not allow for ratings or reviews, but you can certainly let us know how you think we’re doing on Spotify, Stitcher, or iHeartRadio
Subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts.
Subscribe to the podcast on Google Play.
Subscribe to the podcast on Stitcher.
