Unarmored Talk
Unarmored Talk—where emotional armor is left at the door. Host Sgt. Maj. (Ret.) Mario P. Fields and his guests lean into open, heartfelt conversations that reveal personal stories, raw emotions, and authentic connection. Tune in for intimate, unfiltered discussions that invite vulnerability and celebrate honesty.
Unarmored Talk
Saving Students’ Lives? Yes. Here’s How.
What drives a decorated Army veteran to dedicate his life to saving troubled youth? For Craig Hannum, it was witnessing 182 suicides during his 20-year military career.
Determined to change the narrative, Craig pioneered a school-wide intervention strategy that turned 14 suicide attempts into zero the following year. His method? Training everyone—from teachers to janitors—in suicide prevention to build a shared language of support.
Craig shows teens both the hard truths and the hope. From juvenile detention visits to outdoor adventures, he teaches consequences and potential—what they could lose, and what they could gain.
The impact is undeniable: zero juvenile detention cases on military bases, zero alcohol-related incidents for college freshmen, and teens stepping up as peer accountability partners.
Craig’s message is raw but real: “This is not your last worst day. Your next worst day is coming. Are you ready for it?”
To learn more, contact him at 520-678-3551, thetoughesttopic@outlook.com, or find him on LinkedIn and Facebook.
Sometimes, the greatest intervention is someone who refuses to give up.
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Welcome back to Unarmored Talk Podcast. Thank you so much for listening and watching each episode and continue, please, to share with your friends and family members and colleagues, and don't forget to leave a rating or review if you feel this is an awesome show. And you can connect to all of my social media on the parade deck Just look in the show notes. Media on the parade deck just look in the show notes or you can put in the search engine mario p fields parade deck and get all access to my social media. Well, let's get ready to interview another guest who is willing to remove their armor to help other people. And welcome back everyone on armor talk podcast. I'm your host, mario p fields Fields, for the first-time listeners and viewers, welcome to the show If you're listening on audio or watching on the world-famous Mario P Fields YouTube channel. I appreciate your support for the loyal fans and listeners and we got some out there from all over the world. Thank you for the past almost four years. Can't do it without you and there's no reason for me to do it without you.
Speaker 1:An amazing guest on the show today we got craig hannum. What's up, craig? How you doing good, how you doing man, I'm still five foot two and shrinking big dog. But you know, I think I think the good lord knew I was gonna be short, so he's like I'm gonna make you, uh, give you a deep voice, and so everybody thinks you're virtually tall.
Speaker 1:But everybody, before we get to our amazing guest, a little bit about Craig. He's a veteran served in a wonderful military. I'll let him explain to you a little bit about that. But the key thing I want to highlight that Craig is passionate about in his introduction is he's an award-winning, award-winning suicide prevention facilitator, instructor, inspirational speaker I mean I can go on and on on all the words that exist on earth that can describe what this human has done to prevent suicide, to save lives, and I believe that he has direct stories of saving folks' lives, and probably including himself. But then there's indirect impact that he will never know. That is not the topic today, but I just wanted to highlight that he's doing some amazing things in the world. Craig, please bless our viewers and listeners a little bit about telling them a little bit about you, my friend.
Speaker 2:No problem. Like you're saying, 20 plus years in the US Army. It was military police, so a lot of counterterrorism, a lot of SWAT stuff, a lot of deployments, you know so side effect of being in the Army You're going to deploy. Then I got to be the suicide prevention program manager for the Army for four years and we actually. It was a lot of work, but in a 15 month period for the fiscal year 2019 and a calendar year 2019, the three bases I was in charge of. No suicides that entire year. So pretty proud of that makes me feel good. I did not do that alone. Can't do anything alone in this world, sometimes when your inner demons are getting to you. That's what we got to deal with. You know what I mean. You can't do that by yourself. So that's why I taught people that no one can do this kind of stuff and stop people from killing themselves alone.
Speaker 1:Yeah, you know, craig. And before we get into the actual topic, how can people find you? Let's get this up front. Know, craig? And before we get into the actual topic, how can people find you? Let's get this up front because, again, what you, what you have done and what you continue to do is amazing work.
Speaker 2:Well, I'm not shy about giving out my number. So five to zero, six, seven, eight, three, five, five one. Or you can email me at the toughest topic at Outlook dot com, and you can find me on LinkedIn and Facebook.
Speaker 1:You guys heard it that's T3 for you Military folks. You know we like to kind of condense things, but let's just hey, this year I think Navy is going to beat Army this year, no, not just quit it, just no, no, not going to happen.
Speaker 2:Don't make me go grab my jersey. Ok, I got a Pat. Just quit it. No, no, not going to happen. Don't make me go grab my jersey. I got a Pat Tillman and I got the US Army one, so I will break that thing out. In fact, next time we're talking, I'm wearing it, hey.
Speaker 1:I'll tell you what. Craig, If the Navy beat the Army this year, I'm going to send you a bunch of emails. I want to start. You're going to probably put a call to cops on me.
Speaker 2:No, no, I'll call my guys.
Speaker 1:You got military police experience A little bit. Hey well, let's get into it. Man, a lot of folks, including me, when I first met you, when I first saw you, and I first, you know, I researched you. One thing I did not know is your passion for helping the youth that are challenged. In other words, they may have some, some challenges at the house, some criminal history, whatever, but you actually spend time helping youth students who people may have given up on is how accurate is that, my friend? That's pretty accurate yeah, we uh.
Speaker 2:I wrote a plan for a high school where I was uh stationed and they had nothing in place the prior year, uh, the calendar you've heard of for academics nine months, you know, they lost 14 people to suicide. I'm sorry, 14 attempts. 14 attempts in high school, yeah, in high school, um. So they called me and said, hey, can you help us out? I was like, yeah, no problem. I said first I'm going to train the teachers, all staff. Principal at the time's like what do you mean? All staff? I mean custodial maintenance, you name it, every single staff member needs to get this. And she's like well, why is that so important? I was like we need a commonality of language. She's like okay.
Speaker 2:Then I trained the JROTC in suicide intervention. It was a two-hour class, so a little bit more advanced stuff. Really had to pick up on the micro-expressions there and I said go forward, do your things. They were the first responders for that school. So the next calendar year we had 27 reports, no incidents, no loss of life, and that's a causality of the training. You're going to get an increase in reporting. That's a good thing. So I went lower, started teaching the middle school, sixth, seventh and eighth grade. Because if we don't get after the youth now and I say like starting at age 10, and we start talking seriously about this subject, telling the dangers of it, the dangers of social media, and it's the devil. When you and I went to school, we were only getting picked on from age three and it was over. Now it's 24-7.
Speaker 1:So we talk about it like that.
Speaker 2:Teach them resiliency now. So when life does get hard and I'm honest with that I say this is not your last worst day. I always tell people that your next worst day is coming. Are you going to be ready for it? God teaches kids resiliency. And tell them the truth. Don't sure coat it with rainbows and unicorns and hummingbirds. No, tell them the truth. Here is the reality.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so you know, craig and I kind of talked about this before the show of being just be honest, and I love how you said that. Tell them the truth. And I love how you highlight. I like how you highlighted. You know, although, although the reporting went up, it may on the surface look like oh man, this, this education and training and development is increasing activity. Yeah, but the loss of life one loss of life is is one too many, yeah, but but the, the look at the significant reduction in loss of life is just amazing. At what point did you say I need to focus on the youth more than the?
Speaker 2:adults. 2010, I was still in uniform and kids were being kids. Mom and dad are deployed. There's a disruption there. Say, dad gets deployed, mom's still there and he gets back after a certain period and he wants to be king of the castle again. Because we don't teach folks hey, when you get home you are not in charge of anything, because mom had to figure out a system that's working for her and the two, three kids that are there. You know we don't teach them that.
Speaker 2:So I started seeing an increase in juvenile delinquency and you know they're doing it on the base. So there's there's things we can do, but there's more red tape on the base. You know. I said you know what? Have them come down to the military police station and wash all my vehicles to include my massive up armored tank? I want that thing, spotless. Jag was like no, you can't do that. I said, okay, no problem. So I was friends with the juvenile corrections department, the director down there. I said, hey, anytime I get a kid that screws up, can I bring him here? And she was like, yes, that'd be awesome. So I kid you not, I picked out a day, got mom and dad to sign up on the waiver 15.
Speaker 2:Passenger van drove out to the juvenile center and I went as at a specific time where it's chaos, and had them walk in and they're just. It freaked him out. You know not the whole scared straight. It's like this place is a consequence of your actions. Don't blame this on mom and dad. Don't blame it on who's deployed. You can't blame this on society. You definitely can't blame it on who the president is and all that nonsense. You've made this decision. You are right the sound in mind. Because of your age, you knew what you were doing. The only reason why you're upset is you got caught. So I said this is where you will go. Well, they didn't believe me. So I had the commanding general made it very clear they get busted for anything, especially if it's property damage that he was going to initiate. They go to juvie. So we create a partnership.
Speaker 2:Guess how many kids with the juvie from the base? None, how many? None? Wow, zero. Because no one was holding that accountable. You know just like, when I do my stuff, my, my passion, you always hold that person accountable. You're the one thinking like this, you're the one that wants to do this, you're the one blaming everything else around you and I said quit up the blame game, because that's just a lame excuse. You got caught. But on the flip side, it's like I understand why you're doing this. You miss whoever's deployed. There's no continuity at home, it's just, it's chaos. You know, the schedule just gets nuts.
Speaker 2:On the flip side, though, I took those same kids. I said come on, let's go on a hike, and I showed them what you can do. I mean, the outdoors on most bases are phenomenal Fort Huachuca, massive mountain, right there, creeks, it's just gorgeous. So we went on this nice hike, gets to the top, we're having a little picnic. And the uh, it's just, it's gorgeous. So he runs a nice hike, he's at the top, we're having a little picnic.
Speaker 2:And the next thing, you know, they are becoming accountability partners for other folks. They're telling their parents hey, I saw little timmy. Uh, he, you know he was trying to open up the fire hydrant, whatever it might have been. And mom's like oh, really, okay, cool, hey, greg, I had a problem. Cool along the way, it wasn't ratting them out, it's holding them accountable.
Speaker 2:If you do that, here's the consequences. So that's the good part. So you can't sit there and say if you don't listen to me I'm going to grab my belt. Okay, all right. So they're defiant. They do it again. Hey, I'm not going to tell you again. No, I told them. I said consequence right here in the state of arizona. It's not a program. You get busted for three months, you're there for three months period. It's direct sentencing. So, yeah, show them the consequence, but the same time, show them what they're missing. You know, right, it's to do. It's so much to do if you look at the right direction or if you have the right person that can get you there. You've got to focus on that, you know, go ahead.
Speaker 1:No, and I love the key points you're highlighting is this is not to punish you. It's really to show a care and being held accountable. It's not you know snitches, get snitches and that false belief, but having an accurate approach to um. There there's some accountability in life and and I care about you, which brings me to this next point, as I'm listening to you at any point, when you made this decision in 2010, did any child or any one in your network or around you say why do you care so much? Oh, all the time, all the time. How did you feel? Walk me through that when they're looking at Craig and going, hey, soldier, come here, yeah. Or the kid looks at you and goes why do you care?
Speaker 2:And I told him why, and I made it very clear. I said, okay, what you guys are doing are misdemeanors. I said that's gonna get boring. You didn't get caught, so you think you're amping up a little bit. Now you're doing felonies, then it gets. It gets worse. Now you're with a crowd that is completely rebellious and defiant and they're going to introduce things in your life that you're not going to know how to control alcohol, drugs, sex, all these things right. And I said it is a slippery slope because once you start it's very difficult to get out of it. I said so I am preventing that by showing you consequences and I'm also showing you where you know things that can help you out.
Speaker 2:So we started doing these youth camps. You know, uh, kickball. We called actually I call it dodgeball kickball. So you know, if you kick the ball, great, but you have to get them out by throwing ball. So that's a, that's a great release. You know we had the stables down there. Uh, lots of horses. So I knew the guy that was in charge. I, hey, I want to take these guys on a trail ride. All right, cool, you lead them. Just show them other things other than bowling alley. It's always oh, let's go bowling. Oh, yeah, that's fun. Yes, every base has a bowling alley and that's your release. No, there's other things. Get them outside, because kids are supposed to be outside. You're supposed to be getting dirty and any time we were together if they had a phone, you're leaving out of the MP station. You don't need this phone right now. I got you, don't worry about it. Yeah, I got to ask that all the time. Why do you care? It's because I don't want to be a statistic.
Speaker 1:Why do you? And look at what you've done. I mean again, 93% of communication that I just did some research is nonverbal. It's what you do, not what you say. And it's beyond obvious to me, craig, that you know your initiatives with suicide awareness for adults around the world.
Speaker 1:But what's not highlighted which I'm glad you accepted this invitation to do this show is what you've been doing behind the scenes for the youth and I believe that you have saved many lives from you know the legal system to suicide. We already know that I don't want to hold you too much because I get so every guest. I am self-aware that I love y'all so much and enjoy every guest that I will keep you on forever and prevent you from inspiring other people. But last last kind of discussion point on this show is looking back. Looking back at everything you could have done with your time done with your time and looking at all of the adults right now that have the freedom to choose what to do with their time. Would you change a thing and what would you tell them when it comes to what you're doing?
Speaker 2:well, I'd start with myself. I would have started sooner, you know, like maybe years before, sooner, um, but I was jaded because we're deploying a lot. When someone says I'm going to I'm not talking about suicide to get out of stuff, you know it's frustrating. I was like hey, go away, man, you're contagious to my team. And I would have started sooner because in a 20 year period in uniform and four years as an army civilian, I lost 182 people to suicide. They weren't all soldiers, some of them were kids, and with that that'll get you no different. On the battlefield We'd see a woman or a child, you know, down, um, when it was kids. It was like man, you know. And then you look back three months prior and you see all these warning signs, you, and then you look back three months prior and you see all these warning signs, you know.
Speaker 1:So, yeah, I would, I would have started much sooner. You know, I love it, man, everyone, you guys heard it and I'm even listening to you. I mean, I mean my kids now they're adults, but I'm even thinking back. You got me thinking back and reflecting on when I was raising my own two children and I said, you know what we never discussed? We talked about sex and we talked about drugs. We never talked about suicide and we never did it. And it happened, but we never. What I mean by that is, you know, on the social media, and we never, we never actually intentionally talked about. So everyone, you guys are great. It's not too early to start to educate. It's not too early to start to be proactive when it comes to youth development and particularly particularly suicide and suicide prevention, awareness and so on and so forth, and just showing people you care, if they're your kids or not, anything else. Craig Becauseig, because man, this is good, there's one more.
Speaker 2:So as a child gets older, okay, they're going to be exposed to other things as they mature. Okay, we started seeing alcohol related incidents happening right around 16, 17. Okay, of course, we're going to take care of that, we're going to curb it. So what I said? I? I proposed this idea for every senior that's graduating, okay, that lives on fort huertuga. So I had a class of maybe 40, 50 ish.
Speaker 2:Um, I taught this class called prime for life. Interestingly enough, this class is designed to teach you how to drink responsibly, so it was reactive. If you got busted, you're a soldier, go through this training. Um, other people like, hey, I just, I'm curious, I just can I sit in class? Yeah, sure, everybody wore civilian attire so that that lieutenant colonel isn't making the specialist or the corporal nervous, right, right. So what? Here's what I did. Every kid that was, uh, graduating, they went through the class. Every kid that went to one of the major universities in the state of Arizona so that's the University of Arizona, arizona State University and Northern Arizona University had an agreement with all those guys.
Speaker 2:I said, hey, I want you to track alcohol related incidents with this kid, with her, with these four guys whatever. I said okay, cool, none, zero. Why? Because in that class we say, hey, here's the consequences of drinking too much. And you're at a frat party and it's happening. They're out there dancing, doing all their thing. Oh, I love her. Yeah, she's three sheets to the wind.
Speaker 2:She wakes up the next morning like, oh, something happened and you let the little know hey, thanks for a great time. You're going to jail for rape. That's the consequence. Or you don't go to jail, but now you're on a scholarship, an athletic scholarship. You're done, you're out and they could register you. Register you as a sexual predator because you took advantage of somebody who was not a right sound in mind and never gave you consent, right, so we took it a step further. And when, when I got the data back after that academic year, they said, hey, here's a report of your guys zero, they actually were doing pretty good in school. They were, they were following along, no big issues, nothing criminal. You know. It just opens up your mind to say, hey, it's like a private, don't do anything stupid. Learn your job for at least two years. Learn how to be a soldier or a Marine, figure that out, navigate that world, okay, and then you can start seeing what you can and can't do. It's growth I love it.
Speaker 2:The best thing about growth is change. Change is a constant, so giddy up. So yeah that's what I did for those guys getting ready to go into a world where the professor is not going to call you. If you didn't show up for class, you've got to do it for you. Yeah, no.
Speaker 1:I love it and I love your approach of academics and wisdom. Hey, you're going to make mistakes, you're going to learn some experiences, but that's how you become a wise wise, bald, short man that's hosting a podcast. But thank you, craig, thank you for caring so much. And everyone again, reach out to Craig. I'll put the links in the show note, if you guys, you know again, you guys know Unarmored Talk is not a long podcast, you know. But if you want to learn more, get some tips, please connect with craig hannum. He will give you some more the complexities of his program, his results, and I love how he has the statistics to back them up. But you guys know the deal, everyone, in a couple of weeks, again, you will get a chance to hear my voice on audio or see me on my YouTube channel and that's the podcast playlist, cause you guys know that YouTube channel has three other playlists. But until then, you know the deal.
Speaker 1:I continue to pray that God bless you, all the listener, viewers, god bless your family, friends and any one or living being around you. Craig, thank you for your service. Again, my friend, and go Navy, cool man, go Army. Love you, brother, we'll see you later. Thank you for listening to this most recent episode and remember you can listen and watch all of the previous episodes on my YouTube channel. The best way to connect to me and all of my social media is follow me on the parade deck that is wwwparadecom, or you can click on the link in the show notes. I'll see you guys soon.
