The training is meant to take on problems that, if anything, have worsened in the military in recent years. Between 2014 and 2019, the suicide rate for all active-duty troops increased from 20.4 to 25.9 suicides per 100,000 according to Pentagon data; in the last three months of 2020, suicides among National Guard troops nearly tripled to 39 from 14 over the same period the prior year.
MCGUIRE AIR FORCE BASE, N.J. — The three airmen sat quietly adjusting their headsets, murmuring to their colleague, who was in distinct trouble. “Everyone goes through rough patches sometimes,” each said, a few moments apart, to the same despondent and mildly intoxicated man, whose wife recently left him and who seemed immersed in suicidal thoughts. The airman on the other end of the headsets was virtual, but the conversation was all encompassing, a 30-minute, occasionally harrowing journey among three actual airmen and a virtual actor, whom they each tried to coax into getting help. The three were trying out a new virtual reality program this month that the Air Force is using to target two problems that continue to vex military leaders: suicide and sexual assault within the ranks. Years of prevention training — often in the form of somnolence-inducing PowerPoint presentations — have done little to stem the rates of either problem. Sign up for The Mor
Officials are hoping that an immersive virtual reality experience aimed at getting airmen to intervene will succeed where years of traditional training have failed.
Additional Okeechobee County School District students to return to in-person learning next semester By Sabirah Rayford | December 9, 2020 at 4:45 PM EST - Updated December 10 at 8:35 AM
The Okeechobee County School District said Wednesday that more students will be heading back to in-person learning next semester.
On Tuesday, parents in the Okeechobee School District got a letter saying next semester there will only be two options for students in person or virtual.
“Okeechobee sync,” a hybrid option will no longer be available. Currently, it requires children learning from home to follow their normal bell schedule.
“We’re just not seeing the success in that option. We know we have a higher number of F’s and we know we are having difficulty engaging students using that model.”