• Unseen scars: Beyond the Blue

    MCCONNELL AIR FORCE BASE, Kan. – The damage abuse causes won’t always embed within bruises, bumps and broken bones— it can take the form of emotional scars, invisible to the surface.

  • The ones left behind: Beyond the Blue

    The unexpected loss of an Airman to suicide creates a void that echos far beyond the empty chair at their workstation. The unit’s focus must now shift from preventative efforts to fostering recovery for the ones left behind.

  • When I lost my stripe — Beyond the Blue

    I pulled my blues out of the closet and began ironing. This time, it wasn’t for a ceremony or a fancy event. It was to face my commander and receive punishment for my poor decisions.

  • Finding strength through Hope - Beyond the Blue

    December will mark the four-year anniversary of the death of Craig Brown, retired U.S. Air Force Master Sgt., leaving his wife Lynnette and their two children to live on in his legacy.

  • The Letter to My Mom – Beyond the Blue

    It is not what happens in life that makes me who I am, but it's how I am able to overcome obstacles that I face. Going through abuse shaped the way I thought, made me question who I trust and even changed my perspective on life.

  • The Will to Persevere

    Maj. Tim Brunson, 22nd Medical Group education and training flight commander, served at McConnell as a nurse a year ago when he realized that some mental trauma he normalized as everyday thoughts were anything but normal.

  • Beyond the Blue

    MCCONNELL AIR FORCE BASE, Kan. – Beginning in Jan. 2020, the Violence Prevention office, in collaboration with McConnell’s community action team, will be introducing a new initiative called Beyond the Blue. The initiative aims to normalize help-seeking behaviors and assure Airmen that they can