Suicide prevention among military is Rotary topic

Kenneth Koon, founder of Armed Forces Mission headquartered in Tyrone, recently spoke to the Peachtree City Rotary Club.

AFM was established in 2012 with the primary focus of developing the Office of Suicide Intervention and Training to address the high rate of suicide within the active military, including the Reserves and National Guard, and the veteran community.

Koon’s personal story and the stories he told about others gave Rotarians insight as to how common suicide really is, particularly among war veterans.

Koon also talked about a two-day suicide awareness workshop he conducts to train people how to recognize signs and intervene to prevent suicide. The emphasis is on teaching what he called “suicide first-aid” to help an at-risk person stay safe and seek further help as needed.

Those interested in attending one of the training sessions in Tyrone can call 678-283-4293 for information.

Koon (left) is shown in the photo with club President Ed Outlaw.