“It is not enough to fight. It is the spirit which we bring to the fight that decides the issue. It is morale that wins the victory.”
—General George C. Marshall, 1941
Throughout my military career, I saw too many people who needed help but never took the first step.
In 2020, while commanding a battalion in the 4th Infantry Division during the COVID-19 pandemic, I watched our Army experience an alarming increase in suicidal ideation and deaths by suicide. Every loss affected far more than one Soldier or one family. It shook an entire formation. Soldiers grieved the loss of a teammate. Leaders questioned what they could have done differently. Morale suffered and readiness declined.
That experience changed how I think about leadership. It echoes a truth General George C. Marshall understood decades ago: No organization can succeed unless its people feel supported. To add to that, they need to be able to seek help when they need it.
But support cannot be effective if people cannot realistically access it. It must be private, convenient, and available the moment someone is ready to reach out.
That lesson is one reason I became involved with Counslr. Our goal is simple: to meet people where they are and give them every opportunity to ask for and receive help.
Through confidential, text-based access to licensed mental health professionals, Counslr offers a low-barrier entry point for those who might otherwise remain silent. A personal phone becomes a discreet connection to human support wherever someone is stationed, working, or living.
Counslr is not intended to replace behavioral health professionals, counseling centers, employee assistance programs, or other existing resources. Instead, it supplements them. Counslr is designed to help more people take that critical first step to connect with support before their challenges become crises.
For the military community, creating more pathways to support is especially urgent. The mental health challenges facing active-duty service members, veterans, and their families can be difficult for those who have not served to fully comprehend. Military life may include repeated deployments, frequent relocations, prolonged separations from loved ones, exposure to danger, and the complex transition from military service to civilian life. These pressures can affect not only those who serve, but also the families who serve alongside them.
The numbers underscore the magnitude of the challenge. From 2020 through 2024, more than 560,000 active-duty service members were diagnosed with at least one mental health disorder, according to the Armed Forces Health Surveillance Division. The Department of Veterans Affairs reported an average of 17.5 veteran suicide deaths per day in 2023.
These figures should do more than concern us. They should compel every military leader, policymaker, employer, and community member to ask what more we can do—and what barriers we can remove—to help people receive support sooner.
Behind every statistic is a real person: a brave service member, a devoted spouse, maybe a parent missing their child, or even an infant they have never met. Their experiences reinforce a lesson every leader should understand: mental wellness is foundational to performance.
Build a Proactive Culture
In the military, we invest countless hours ensuring Soldiers are technically competent and prepared to perform under pressure. We do not wait until a mission is underway to begin training. We prepare long before the moment of need, developing the skills and confidence required to respond effectively.
Mental and emotional readiness deserve that same proactive commitment.
Military culture has historically valued toughness and self-reliance. Those qualities remain essential, but they can also make asking for help feel damaging. RAND research found that concerns about confidentiality and the potential career consequences of receiving mental health care continue to influence whether service members seek support. Similar barriers exist in civilian workplaces and schools, where people may fear that speaking up will make them appear unreliable or incapable.
The leadership challenge is not simply responding compassionately when someone asks for help but also reaching the many people who need support but never ask for it.
Addressing this challenge requires building a culture in which mental wellness is treated as part of everyday readiness, rather than a condition to address only after a Soldier is in crisis, an employee is burned out, a student is struggling, or a team’s performance has begun to deteriorate. By then, both the individual and the organization are already operating at a disadvantage.
Support also must fit the realities of people’s lives. Military personnel may be stationed far from home or serve in environments where traditional appointments are difficult to access. On the civilian side, healthcare professionals work overnight shifts, construction crews spend long hours on job sites, and educators carry responsibilities home after demanding days in the classroom.
Creating an alternative front door that meets people where they are and allows them to seek help discreetly is one of the greatest opportunities leaders have to strengthen well-being and readiness. When leaders make accessible resources available before a crisis occurs, they send a powerful message: seeking support is not a personal failure. It is a responsible act and an essential part of staying ready.
Treat Readiness as an Ongoing Commitment
No matter the mission—defending a nation, preparing students for future careers, caring for patients, serving customers, or building a business—people perform best when they know they matter. Leaders who invest in mental health build stronger teams, strengthen organizational commitment and readiness, and create cultures prepared to meet the next challenge.
Readiness is not a one-time investment. A single training, policy announcement, or new resource rollout can create momentum, but momentum fades if it isn’t tended to. That means checking whether any of it is actually taking hold, listening for where it's falling short, and adjusting based on what you find. An organization that treats mental fitness as a box checked once a year won’t make meaningful progress, but one that treats it as a standing priority builds resilience that holds under pressure.
As General Marshall proclaimed more than 80 years ago, morale is the deciding factor in mission success, so it should be treated as such and cultivated accordingly. Helping people become mentally and emotionally fit and strong is a fundamental leadership responsibility—because your organization's greatest asset is your people.
The views and opinions expressed here are solely those of the author and should not be attributed to Counslr, Inc., its partners, its employees, or any other mental health professionals Counslr employs. You should review this information and any questions regarding your specific circumstances with a medical professional. The content provided here is for informational and educational purposes only and should not be construed as counseling, therapy, or professional medical advice.
“It is not enough to fight. It is the spirit which we bring to the fight that decides the issue. It is morale that wins the victory.”
—General George C. Marshall, 1941
Throughout my military career, I saw too many people who needed help but never took the first step.
In 2020, while commanding a battalion in the 4th Infantry Division during the COVID-19 pandemic, I watched our Army experience an alarming increase in suicidal ideation and deaths by suicide. Every loss affected far more than one Soldier or one family. It shook an entire formation. Soldiers grieved the loss of a teammate. Leaders questioned what they could have done differently. Morale suffered and readiness declined.
That experience changed how I think about leadership. It echoes a truth General George C. Marshall understood decades ago: No organization can succeed unless its people feel supported. To add to that, they need to be able to seek help when they need it.
But support cannot be effective if people cannot realistically access it. It must be private, convenient, and available the moment someone is ready to reach out.
That lesson is one reason I became involved with Counslr. Our goal is simple: to meet people where they are and give them every opportunity to ask for and receive help.
Through confidential, text-based access to licensed mental health professionals, Counslr offers a low-barrier entry point for those who might otherwise remain silent. A personal phone becomes a discreet connection to human support wherever someone is stationed, working, or living.
Counslr is not intended to replace behavioral health professionals, counseling centers, employee assistance programs, or other existing resources. Instead, it supplements them. Counslr is designed to help more people take that critical first step to connect with support before their challenges become crises.
For the military community, creating more pathways to support is especially urgent. The mental health challenges facing active-duty service members, veterans, and their families can be difficult for those who have not served to fully comprehend. Military life may include repeated deployments, frequent relocations, prolonged separations from loved ones, exposure to danger, and the complex transition from military service to civilian life. These pressures can affect not only those who serve, but also the families who serve alongside them.
The numbers underscore the magnitude of the challenge. From 2020 through 2024, more than 560,000 active-duty service members were diagnosed with at least one mental health disorder, according to the Armed Forces Health Surveillance Division. The Department of Veterans Affairs reported an average of 17.5 veteran suicide deaths per day in 2023.
These figures should do more than concern us. They should compel every military leader, policymaker, employer, and community member to ask what more we can do—and what barriers we can remove—to help people receive support sooner.
Behind every statistic is a real person: a brave service member, a devoted spouse, maybe a parent missing their child, or even an infant they have never met. Their experiences reinforce a lesson every leader should understand: mental wellness is foundational to performance.
Build a Proactive Culture
In the military, we invest countless hours ensuring Soldiers are technically competent and prepared to perform under pressure. We do not wait until a mission is underway to begin training. We prepare long before the moment of need, developing the skills and confidence required to respond effectively.
Mental and emotional readiness deserve that same proactive commitment.
Military culture has historically valued toughness and self-reliance. Those qualities remain essential, but they can also make asking for help feel damaging. RAND research found that concerns about confidentiality and the potential career consequences of receiving mental health care continue to influence whether service members seek support. Similar barriers exist in civilian workplaces and schools, where people may fear that speaking up will make them appear unreliable or incapable.
The leadership challenge is not simply responding compassionately when someone asks for help but also reaching the many people who need support but never ask for it.
Addressing this challenge requires building a culture in which mental wellness is treated as part of everyday readiness, rather than a condition to address only after a Soldier is in crisis, an employee is burned out, a student is struggling, or a team’s performance has begun to deteriorate. By then, both the individual and the organization are already operating at a disadvantage.
Support also must fit the realities of people’s lives. Military personnel may be stationed far from home or serve in environments where traditional appointments are difficult to access. On the civilian side, healthcare professionals work overnight shifts, construction crews spend long hours on job sites, and educators carry responsibilities home after demanding days in the classroom.
Creating an alternative front door that meets people where they are and allows them to seek help discreetly is one of the greatest opportunities leaders have to strengthen well-being and readiness. When leaders make accessible resources available before a crisis occurs, they send a powerful message: seeking support is not a personal failure. It is a responsible act and an essential part of staying ready.
Treat Readiness as an Ongoing Commitment
No matter the mission—defending a nation, preparing students for future careers, caring for patients, serving customers, or building a business—people perform best when they know they matter. Leaders who invest in mental health build stronger teams, strengthen organizational commitment and readiness, and create cultures prepared to meet the next challenge.
Readiness is not a one-time investment. A single training, policy announcement, or new resource rollout can create momentum, but momentum fades if it isn’t tended to. That means checking whether any of it is actually taking hold, listening for where it's falling short, and adjusting based on what you find. An organization that treats mental fitness as a box checked once a year won’t make meaningful progress, but one that treats it as a standing priority builds resilience that holds under pressure.
As General Marshall proclaimed more than 80 years ago, morale is the deciding factor in mission success, so it should be treated as such and cultivated accordingly. Helping people become mentally and emotionally fit and strong is a fundamental leadership responsibility—because your organization's greatest asset is your people.
The views and opinions expressed here are solely those of the author and should not be attributed to Counslr, Inc., its partners, its employees, or any other mental health professionals Counslr employs. You should review this information and any questions regarding your specific circumstances with a medical professional. The content provided here is for informational and educational purposes only and should not be construed as counseling, therapy, or professional medical advice.
“It is not enough to fight. It is the spirit which we bring to the fight that decides the issue. It is morale that wins the victory.”
—General George C. Marshall, 1941
Throughout my military career, I saw too many people who needed help but never took the first step.
In 2020, while commanding a battalion in the 4th Infantry Division during the COVID-19 pandemic, I watched our Army experience an alarming increase in suicidal ideation and deaths by suicide. Every loss affected far more than one Soldier or one family. It shook an entire formation. Soldiers grieved the loss of a teammate. Leaders questioned what they could have done differently. Morale suffered and readiness declined.
That experience changed how I think about leadership. It echoes a truth General George C. Marshall understood decades ago: No organization can succeed unless its people feel supported. To add to that, they need to be able to seek help when they need it.
But support cannot be effective if people cannot realistically access it. It must be private, convenient, and available the moment someone is ready to reach out.
That lesson is one reason I became involved with Counslr. Our goal is simple: to meet people where they are and give them every opportunity to ask for and receive help.
Through confidential, text-based access to licensed mental health professionals, Counslr offers a low-barrier entry point for those who might otherwise remain silent. A personal phone becomes a discreet connection to human support wherever someone is stationed, working, or living.
Counslr is not intended to replace behavioral health professionals, counseling centers, employee assistance programs, or other existing resources. Instead, it supplements them. Counslr is designed to help more people take that critical first step to connect with support before their challenges become crises.
For the military community, creating more pathways to support is especially urgent. The mental health challenges facing active-duty service members, veterans, and their families can be difficult for those who have not served to fully comprehend. Military life may include repeated deployments, frequent relocations, prolonged separations from loved ones, exposure to danger, and the complex transition from military service to civilian life. These pressures can affect not only those who serve, but also the families who serve alongside them.
The numbers underscore the magnitude of the challenge. From 2020 through 2024, more than 560,000 active-duty service members were diagnosed with at least one mental health disorder, according to the Armed Forces Health Surveillance Division. The Department of Veterans Affairs reported an average of 17.5 veteran suicide deaths per day in 2023.
These figures should do more than concern us. They should compel every military leader, policymaker, employer, and community member to ask what more we can do—and what barriers we can remove—to help people receive support sooner.
Behind every statistic is a real person: a brave service member, a devoted spouse, maybe a parent missing their child, or even an infant they have never met. Their experiences reinforce a lesson every leader should understand: mental wellness is foundational to performance.
Build a Proactive Culture
In the military, we invest countless hours ensuring Soldiers are technically competent and prepared to perform under pressure. We do not wait until a mission is underway to begin training. We prepare long before the moment of need, developing the skills and confidence required to respond effectively.
Mental and emotional readiness deserve that same proactive commitment.
Military culture has historically valued toughness and self-reliance. Those qualities remain essential, but they can also make asking for help feel damaging. RAND research found that concerns about confidentiality and the potential career consequences of receiving mental health care continue to influence whether service members seek support. Similar barriers exist in civilian workplaces and schools, where people may fear that speaking up will make them appear unreliable or incapable.
The leadership challenge is not simply responding compassionately when someone asks for help but also reaching the many people who need support but never ask for it.
Addressing this challenge requires building a culture in which mental wellness is treated as part of everyday readiness, rather than a condition to address only after a Soldier is in crisis, an employee is burned out, a student is struggling, or a team’s performance has begun to deteriorate. By then, both the individual and the organization are already operating at a disadvantage.
Support also must fit the realities of people’s lives. Military personnel may be stationed far from home or serve in environments where traditional appointments are difficult to access. On the civilian side, healthcare professionals work overnight shifts, construction crews spend long hours on job sites, and educators carry responsibilities home after demanding days in the classroom.
Creating an alternative front door that meets people where they are and allows them to seek help discreetly is one of the greatest opportunities leaders have to strengthen well-being and readiness. When leaders make accessible resources available before a crisis occurs, they send a powerful message: seeking support is not a personal failure. It is a responsible act and an essential part of staying ready.
Treat Readiness as an Ongoing Commitment
No matter the mission—defending a nation, preparing students for future careers, caring for patients, serving customers, or building a business—people perform best when they know they matter. Leaders who invest in mental health build stronger teams, strengthen organizational commitment and readiness, and create cultures prepared to meet the next challenge.
Readiness is not a one-time investment. A single training, policy announcement, or new resource rollout can create momentum, but momentum fades if it isn’t tended to. That means checking whether any of it is actually taking hold, listening for where it's falling short, and adjusting based on what you find. An organization that treats mental fitness as a box checked once a year won’t make meaningful progress, but one that treats it as a standing priority builds resilience that holds under pressure.
As General Marshall proclaimed more than 80 years ago, morale is the deciding factor in mission success, so it should be treated as such and cultivated accordingly. Helping people become mentally and emotionally fit and strong is a fundamental leadership responsibility—because your organization's greatest asset is your people.
The views and opinions expressed here are solely those of the author and should not be attributed to Counslr, Inc., its partners, its employees, or any other mental health professionals Counslr employs. You should review this information and any questions regarding your specific circumstances with a medical professional. The content provided here is for informational and educational purposes only and should not be construed as counseling, therapy, or professional medical advice.
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