BREAKING DOCTRINE: Heraldry & Health (including suicide)

Two new publications are out in recent days on ArmyPubs.Army.Mil.

Released late last week: AR 600-63 Army Health Promotion. This is an update to a 2015 Army Regulation that, as you'd expect, covers health promotion. Flowing with the recently released suicide prevention doctrine, some of the more substantive changes address that key topic. They include:

• Adds the requirement for commanders to appoint a Suicide Prevention Program Manager, in writing, to manage the suicide prevention program (para 1–26c).

• Implements the use of DD Form 2996 (Department of Defense Suicide Event Report) as an official Department of Defense form and replaces the use of the term “DoDSER” when referencing the report itself, with DD Form 2996 (para 1–31j and throughout).

• Revises the Commander’s Suspected Suicide Event reporting procedures and implements the use of DA Form 7747 (Commander’s Suspected Suicide Event Report) to incorporate concerns derived from the Department of Defense Suicide Report and additional data elements to better access and analyze suicide events. Additionally, replaces the use of the term “CSSER” (Commander’s Suspected Suicide Event Report) with the DA Form 7747 (para 1–32w and throughout).

• Clarifies roles and responsibilities for chaplains relative to suicide prevention (para 1–32).

• Provides roles and responsibilities for the Installation Health Promotion Officer (para 1–33).

• Clarifies roles and responsibilities for the Installation Suicide Prevention Program Manager (para 1–34).

Also, fresh out today, AR 840-2, Heraldic Services. This is a new Army Regulation, which doesn't take effect until the end of this month. It defines and procedures, and assigns responsibilities for furnishing heraldic design and development services within DoD and other departments and agencies of the United States.

But, it's not as fun as it may sound. There's no eagle claws, lightening bolts, shields, swords or odd descriptions of unit insignia here. It's only a few pages and deals more in audit procedures for the somewhat obscure agency, The Institute of Heraldry.

Better luck next time.

We haven't mentioned it, but there are also some recently released niche publications for military police and the Criminal Investigations Division. If you're an MP, or aspiring CID agent, give them a look.