Editing Fort Wainwright (section)

== Quality-of-life issues ==
In 2019, a behavioral health epidemiological consultation, or EPICON, was requested after Alaskan Congressman [[Don Young]] sent a letter to the Surgeon General of the U.S. Army and Commanding General, U.S. Army Medical Command requesting a team of medical professionals to be sent to Fort Wainwright to examine the situation on the ground in relation to a number of reported suicides. Observed findings were consistent with suicide cases in previous EPICONs. Soldiers who died by suicide had indications of multiple risk factors, including chronic pain, relationship issues, and trouble sleeping.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Tewksbury |first1=Sara |title=To reduce suicides Fairbanks Army Base must improve quality of life, public health survey says |url=https://www.webcenter11.com/content/news/To-reduce-suicides-Fairbanks-Army-base-must-improve-quality-of-life-public-health-survey-says-564009931.html |publisher=Webcenter Channel 11, Fairbanks |access-date=16 June 2020}}</ref>

Concurrently, in 2019, the Army initiated a pilot program to target quality-of-life improvements at Fort Irwin, California; Fort Polk, Louisiana; and Fort Wainwright, Alaska. General Gus Perna, Commander for the Army Materiel Command (AMC), emphasized that increasing quality of life across the force remains a top priority for Army senior leaders.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Suits |first1=Devon L |title=Army pilot program focuses on quality of life at three 'austere' posts |url=https://www.army.mil/article/232365/army_pilot_program_focuses_on_quality_of_life_at_three_austere_posts |access-date=6 February 2020}}</ref>

General Perna stated that "Quite frankly, Fort Wainwright is in an austere environment, ...Fort Irwin and Fort Polk are also austere, but it is where we do all of our [brigade combat team] training. We send our best leaders at all levels that go train our BCTs ... to places that don't have a lot of quality of life."<ref>{{cite web|last1=Tewksbury|first1=Sara|title=Following feedback from soldiers, Fort Wainwright implements quality of life improvements|url=https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/following-feedback-from-soldiers-fort-wainwright-implements-quality-of-life-improvements/ar-BB14MA2N|publisher=Webcenter Channel 11, Fairbanks}}</ref>

On Fort Wainwright, USARAK and USAG Alaska implemented a number of Quality of Life initiatives that included blackout curtains barracks to boost the ability to sleep during the 24-hours of sunlight in the summer, planning the construction of winter maintenance facilities to improve workplace quality during extreme cold weather and generous leave policies for soldiers allowing for more time with family in an attempt to reduce an isolation effect in an austere environment.<ref name=":0">{{cite news|title=Military Installations USAG Alaska, Wainwright|publisher=Military OneSource|agency=U.S. Department of Defense}}</ref>

By 2022, the Army and [[Defense Health Agency]] began hiring behavioral health providers as well as family life counselors to support the installation's soldiers and reduce wait times. This included temporary positions until full-time providers were made available all as part of the Army's recently established Mission 100 program.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Army seeks to rein in Alaska suicides by connecting with soldiers one by one |url=https://www.stripes.com/branches/army/2022-02-25/us-army-seeks-to-rein-in-alaska-suicides-mission-100-5149828.html |access-date=2022-06-10 |website=Stars and Stripes |language=en}}</ref> Additionally, resources were made available to new families to include loaner furniture, increased funding and expanded routes for the post shuttle, and increasing access to Alaskan ski facilities. The year prior, Option 20 became available to new Army recruits to enable them to choose Alaska as a duty station, allowing for more region-specific volunteers to be stationed there.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Army announces initiatives to improve quality of life for Soldiers in Alaska |url=https://www.army.mil/article/257122/army_announces_initiatives_to_improve_quality_of_life_for_soldiers_in_alaska |access-date=2022-06-10 |website=www.army.mil |language=en}}</ref>