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Members of the military and their families face many challenges other than combat. Effective training, transitioning to civilian life and suicide prevention are all serious issues in the community, and Army Secretary John McHugh recently signed a directive to implement some recommendations from the forthcoming findings from the Behavioral Health Task Force, according to Army News Service. 

Known as the “Ready and Resilient” campaign, the initiative will be a broad undertaking. Among its chief provisions is one that will call for any programs designed to target resiliency will fall under the control of a single authority in an effort to reduce confusion. Additionally, McHugh says the programs will address everything from domestic abuse to removing the stigma attached to seeking help. 

“We’re trying to teach soldiers it’s OK to reach out for help,” McHugh told reporters. “You don’t just do that in a class or two to a young soldier. It really has to be a career-long progression.”

The Behavioral Health Task Force was authorized last year by McHugh in an effort to better understand the effects of post-traumatic stress disorder. The findings are particularly important now, given that in 2012, 325 servicemembers took their own lives, which was a record number.