Master-At-Arms Second Class Jessica R. Smedley, U.S. Navy, is assigned to the Office of Naval Intelligence Security Forces Training Department. She is the command’s suicide prevention coordinator and resident applied suicide intervention skills training (ASIST) instructor. She holds a Bachelors of Arts in Political Science from San Jose State University. Petty Officer Smedley’s essay won second prize in the Spring Enlisted Prize Essay Contest sponsored by Textron Systems.

Articles by Jessica R. Smedley

From the Deckplates - Silence Kills

By Master-At-Arms Second Class Jessica R. Smedley, U.S. Navy
February 2017
Suicide is an uncomfortable word. With it come feelings of confusion, shame, despair, desperation, and loss. We drive quickly past billboards on our highways—“Every 13 minutes, someone in America dies ...

From the Deckplates - Treat Mental Health on Active Duty

By Master-At-Arms Second Class Jessica R. Smedley, U.S. Navy
December 2016
More than one-third of Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) veterans experience mental health problems, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).2 These diagnoses can severely complicate transition into ...