QUANTICO, VA. (Sept. 16, 2025) – The Marine Corps Association, in partnership with Naval Health Clinic Quantico and MCCS Behavioral Health, hosted the 2025 Mental Health Symposium on September 4 at Marine Corps Base Quantico. Titled “I Don’t Want to Talk About It: Leadership Edition,” the event brought together Marines, mental health professionals, educators, spouses and community members to confront the stigma surrounding mental health and suicide prevention.
Lieutenant General Charles Chiarotti, USMC (Ret),MCA President and CEO, opened the program by stressing that mental health is inseparable from leadership. “If you think that this is not a leadership topic, you’re mistaken. From our junior to our senior Marines, it affects everybody.”
The program featured a panel with Lieutenant Commander Katheryn Ryan, Command Chaplain Paul Rodgers, Captain Tara N. Smith, and Rebecca Cunningham, LCSW, followed by breakout sessions including Beyond Awareness: Leadership Strategies to Build Connection and Trust and Where to Go When It Matters: Tactically Leveraging Existing Resources. Colonel Jenny Colegate, Commanding Officer of MCB Quantico, acknowledged the Corps’ cultural barriers to open discussion, noting that Marines are often taught to “suck it up” rather than talk about challenges. Speakers explored warning signs often missed in suicide prevention, shared experiences from the field and discussed practical tools for leaders and peers.
The symposium provided actionable strategies, strengthened community connections and reaffirmed MCA’s commitment to supporting Marines and their families. Sergeant Major Liam Williams, Senior Enlisted Advisor for MCB Quantico, urged leaders to build relationships with local mental health teams and integrate those resources into their commands’ culture.
By framing mental health as imperative in leadership, MCA and its partners continue to advocate for advancing a culture of trust, compassion and readiness across the Corps.
