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“I don’t even know if it’s worth living anymore,” the Airman admitted, looking down at their feet.
The chaplain assistant takes a deep breath. At that moment he knew, he needed to help, yet couldn’t tell anyone else.
Recognizing suicidal ideations and engaging in privileged communication is one of the main responsibilities of the chaplain corps. Their words are their tools and their actions can potentially save lives.
One Ramstein Airman stood out for his excellence in crisis communication amongst other accolades by protecting eight Airmen in 2016.
Staff Sgt. Jacob Johnson, 86th Airlift Wing Chapel education and training noncommissioned officer in charge conducted 16 crisis intervention counseling sessions last year, earning him the U.S. Air Force Chaplain Corps Richard C. Schneider Award 2016 for outstanding chaplain assistant airman.
Col. Donnette Boyd, 86 AW wing chaplain said Johnson is well deserving of this award.
“Staff Sgt. Johnson embodies our core values,” Boyd said. “His dedication to our mission, outstanding attitude, impeccable military bearing and innovative spirit is what makes him our best. I’ve never seen him idle. He is always working on a project, volunteering to partner with chaplains for unit engagements and interacting with Airmen. I think he’ll end up being our career field manager someday.”
With all the duties encompassing the job, Johnson said crisis communication is the most challenging part and he has to be on guard anytime he picks up the phone or greets a guest.
“Whenever people tell you they’re suicidal or they want to hurt somebody else it tends to be the hardest thing to hear and at that point we know we can’t tell anyone else,” Johnson said. “Now, their lives or somebody else’s life could possibly be in your hands.”
What comes after these distressing encounters can be taxing.
“If you take them very seriously, take the right steps and hopefully get them away from wanting to harm themselves or others it’s an amazing feeling,” said Johnson. “But knowing that it can go south for them to change their mind….then it’s kind of a scary thing.
It gets exhausting sometimes,” Johnson continued, “but we kind of share the load here. We’re pretty close knit.”
Johnson said he cross trained into this job with a goal to help people and he’s one of those people his friends can always talk to.
“Whatever was said between the two of us would stay with me,” Johnson explained. “Coming into a position where I could promise that to somebody, whatever is said between us stays between us, is a pretty powerful thing. Sometimes people need that. It’s really awesome to help people in that capacity as well.”
The 86 AW chaplain assistants work hand-in-hand with the chaplains visiting various units on base as a religious support team and make it clear they do not discriminate.
“We’re a pluralistic community and we are here for everyone,” he said. “We are here to protect the first amendment for freedom of religion. You have to be open minded and flexible and able to accept others that aren’t exactly like yourself. If you come into a career field like this and are very, very set in your ways, it puts barriers up in helping people of different faiths.”
Johnson continues to help Airmen and said he is grateful to be recognized for the Air Force-level award and attributes his accomplishment to his wife and supportive 86 AW chapel team.
“It was an honor to be able to attend the chaplain corps award banquet this year and I am very proud to be part of a career field and an Air Force that recognize their Airmen for doing their job to the best of their abilities,” he said. “I look forward to seeing who is selected next year.”
Numbers for suicide help
Ramstein North Chapel, Bldg. 1201:
480-6148 or 06371-47-6148
Mental Health:
479-2390 or 06371-46-2390
Suicide Hotline:
118 or 00800-12738255
