As an unmarried, 25-year-old who enjoys the outdoors, I asked to be stationed in Alaska for my second Coast Guard billet. When I arrived in Anchorage, I quickly learned how Alaska’s environment, much like the Coast Guard’s, can be simultaneously beautiful and brutal. For example, the best chance of seeing the northern lights is during the darkest and coldest time of year. The Coast Guard is similar in that way. Largely focused on unity of effort and responsiveness after the 9/11 attacks, the sea-going service is at its best during times of crisis. I have seen first-hand how our service displays beauty in the face of brutality when it comes to completing the statutory missions. However, I often ask myself, how successful can a mission really be if it is at the expense of a service member’s mental health?
I was working in the Sector Anchorage command center when I found out my friend, Ensign Theodore “Teddy” Frisk, died by suicide. He graduated from the Coast Guard Academy in 2021 and was underway on his first Coast Guard cutter stationed in Homer, Alaska. His girlfriend was alone in their shared apartment when he died. He was 24.
The next morning, I met Teddy’s girlfriend at the Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport during her layover from Homer to the Lower 48 to reunite with her family. Understanding and sharing the pain and high levels of stress she was experiencing, I called my supervisor and requested to escort her to her mother, who was waiting in Seattle. Within 15 minutes of the call, I bought a round-trip airline ticket. The first time I met her mother was in the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport at the security exit. The second time was in a church in North Carolina, for Teddy’s funeral service.
I am grateful for the support and grace given to me by those with whom I work at Sector Anchorage, especially Captain Leanne Lusk, Commander, Sector Anchorage. Under her direction, there is an emphasis on mental health and ensuring all members are in an environment in which they feel psychologically safe. There are ample resources available, many of which I have used to process my emotions, including the Health, Safety, and Work-Life Service Center and chaplains. In addition, I applied for financial support through the Coast Guard Foundation and Coast Guard Mutual Assistance to reimburse my travel expenses. For the first time in my life, I asked to meet with a professional therapist who focused on traumatic loss. As I continue speaking about my experience, I learned that the support I received makes me an outlier in the countless number of service members affected by suicide.
The Coast Guard Can Do More
It is not a secret that suicide is a serious public threat. In the United States, suicide was the leading cause of death in 2020. Within the state of Alaska, the suicide rate was 28.6 per 100,000 persons, well above the national average of 14.8. The Department of Defense (DoD) reported the suicide rate for uniformed service members was 28.7 per 100,000. To increase transparency and accountability for efforts toward suicide prevention, an annual suicide report is a requirement for the DoD under Section 741 of the National Defense Authorization Act. However, because the Coast Guard falls under the Department of Homeland Security, the Coast Guard’s efforts toward suicide prevention, along with the seven uniformed Coast Guard members who died by suicide in 2020, were not included in the report. Therefore, the Coast Guard should be doing more to prevent suicide and address the effects of its aftermath.
Processing Teddy’s decision to die by suicide is the most challenging thing I have faced in my career. The Coast Guard’s lack of transparency and awareness in the wake of his suicide, at both the Coast Guard Academy and in the fleet, makes it challenging to find closure. There was no official notification, nor any management to the rumors spreading throughout the organization. Multiple Academy graduates and cadets asked me how Teddy died. They were told he died unexpectedly, with no mention of suicide or the resources available to help them process the trauma. Teddy’s crewmembers were getting phone calls asking to confirm or deny the incident. I found myself responsible for sharing and resharing the news to spread awareness. In fear of having to continually break the news of Teddy’s death to those I respect and care for, it took entirely too long for me to build my support network consisting of Coast Guard members who knew about my experience.
It is imperative for senior leaders to bring mental health to the forefront of discussions to ensure prevention is a priority at every unit. The moment a command decides to remain neutral, or non-communicative, on the topic of suicide, three things happen: the command unintentionally trains the younger generation of Coast Guard members that suicide is not an important topic, the command loses credibility as leaders who care and support their members, and suicide survivors are further isolated because it takes additional courage to speak up and share with their supervisor the struggles they are facing. The Coast Guard needs to start talking about suicide before more members feel unwanted, undervalued, or unsure where to turn for help.
Senior leaders must also be honest with those in their units. It is not enough to say that Ensign Frisk died or died unexpectedly. The grief each suicide survivor feels is unique, but all have a common level of guilt and shame. When we bring light that a service member died by suicide, we are now able to share in the grief and proactively build a Coast Guard community around those most affected. We make it clear the Coast Guard will not allow our shipmates to suffer in silence. Frank and open discussions will build the framework for service members to feel safe within their environments, so they can better identify difficult situations and request assistance.
I challenge the Coast Guard to implement an internal safe messaging system that notifies every unit command when there is a suicide death. This notification will include the service member’s name, career history, and resources available if someone is currently contemplating suicide. Timeliness is critical to give commanding officers and officers in charge information on the incident and identify service members at their units who may be affected. Direct supervisors will have the opportunity to be intrusive leaders needed to connect the military service to our own humanity, and suicide survivors are given the support and care they deserve.
I hope to be a part of a Coast Guard when the beautiful outweighs the brutal concerning suicide. This will only happen when the outpouring of support from senior leaders and neighboring units gives suicide survivors the community they need to grieve as humans, while staying respected as uniformed service members. We will remember those who died by suicide, openly support those affected, and make it our unofficial mission to protect the mental health of our current and future service members.
If you or someone you know is in crisis, contact the following organizations:
Suicide Prevention Line: 800-273-TALK (8255) or 988
Veteran Crisis Line: 800-273-8255 & Press 1
National Helpline: 800-662-HELP (4357)
CG SUPRT (24/7): 855-247-8778 (855-CG SUPRT)