Army Secretary Dan Driscoll unveiled a plan to combat soldier suicides during the holidays on Friday.
The “Just Pick Up” initiative allows any soldier to be checked on by a commissioned or noncommissioned officer daily through Jan. 15, 2026. Soldiers can reach the officer by calling 988 and dialing 1 for the military crisis hotline.
“Seeking help is not weakness — it takes courage, faith and trust that your family, friends and community will accept you and help you,” Driscoll wrote. “We want to pick you up, share your load, and get you moving forward again.”
Driscoll’s initiative also encourages service members to check in on their friends in uniform, too.
“Just pick up your phone or car keys — call, text or visit your buddy — and pick them up too,” Driscoll added. “Every life is sacred, we’re all in this together, and just picking up can save Soldiers’ lives.”
Driscoll’s announcement comes after 260 Army service members died by suicide last year, the bulk of which were during the holiday season.
“The holidays can be a high-risk period for self harm,” Driscoll wrote.
Suicide rates in the Army have consistently been some of the highest in the military, according to data from a 2023 annual report.
Driscoll’s initiative aims to resemble the leadership and camaraderie of Alaska’s 11th Airborne Division, which has not lost a soldier to suicide in 14 months.
US SOLDIERS NINE TIMES MORE LIKELY TO DIE BY SUICIDE THAN IN ACTION: PENTAGON
Driscoll was motivated to begin the initiative after an experience he had at the Ranger School’s Winter Mountain Phase 15 years ago that “nearly broke” him, but he was able to regain focus through the help of fellow service members.
“That was an inflection point for me: I realized no one can go through life alone, we all break eventually, and we all need each other,” he wrote.
