Project Safe Guard

About Project Safe Guard (PSG)

Project Safe Guard (PSG) is an evidence-based primary prevention initiative developed to reduce firearm-related harm among National Guard service members and their families. The program promotes secure firearm storage as a key strategy for increasing environmental safety and reducing the risk of suicide, accidental injury, and other forms of violence.

PSG is implemented through a collaboration between the National Guard Bureau, the Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress (CSTS), Rutgers University’s New Jersey Gun Violence Research Center, and Anduril LLC. The program is funded by the National Guard Bureau as an initiative to deliver PSG to interested States, Territories, and the District of Columbia (S/T/DC) and continues to evolve through ongoing evaluation and partnership. 

Program Background

PSG was developed as part of broader efforts within the National Guard to strengthen protective factors and reduce risk across the force. Secure firearm storage has been identified as an evidence-based approach to reducing access to lethal means and preventing harm by increasing environmental safety.

Earlier PSG adaptations focused primarily on suicide prevention through education on firearm storage practices and increasing comfort with conversations around firearm safety. These efforts demonstrated measurable improvements in storage behaviors, participants' knowledge, and attitudes related to risk and prevention.

Evolution of PSG

Generation I (2018-2020):

This initial phase of PSG focused on one-on-one lethal means counseling sessions grounded in motivational interviewing techniques, delivered to members of the Mississippi National Guard. It established the foundation for PSG by demonstrating that even brief, targeted interventions could influence firearm storage behaviors, with participants more likely to securely store firearms after being provided with cable locks by PSG.

Generation II (2022-2023):

Through collaboration, PSG was delivered across multiple states to larger groups of Guardsmen. Generation II helped establish a framework for normalizing conversations about firearm safety and suicide prevention within the National Guard, while producing a formalized curriculum and implementation guidance for future expansion.

Generation III (2025-2028):

The current iteration of PSG represents a significant step in scaling PSG across the National Guard. The program now addresses a broader range of harmful outcomes, including suicide, domestic violence, harassment, and unintentional injury. It introduces a dual-training model that includes both Universal Training for all Guard personnel as well as a targeted training for supervisors (Lead Supervisor Training), equipping leaders with the skills to have effective conversations about secure firearm storage. This generation also lays the groundwork for a Train-the-Trainer (TTT) model, supporting long-term sustainability and the development of a network of trainers across all S/T/DC. Funding also includes firearm storage devices for all Universal Training participants.

Collaborators

Project Safe Guard (PSG) is implemented through a collaborative partnership across federal, academic, and private sector organizations. Each partner plays a distinct role in supporting the development, delivery, and evaluation of the program.

Uniformed Services University (USU) 

The Uniformed Services University serves as the primary coordinating body for PSG. USU facilitates communication between States, Territories, and the District of Columbia (S/T/DC) and program partners, manages training scheduling, and supports the development of program content and materials. USU plays a central role in ensuring consistent implementation and coordination across all PSG activities.

National Guard Bureau (NGB) 

The National Guard Bureau (NGB) provides strategic support and funding for PSG through the NGB-J1 Warrior Resilience & Fitness (WRF) Division. As a key component of the Integrated Primary Prevention (IPP) initiative, PSG serves as an "upstream," non-clinical tool designed to strengthen secure storage practices across the 54 states and territories. 

Rutgers University 

Rutgers University, through its New Jersey Gun Violence Research Center, leads the evaluation of PSG. Rutgers collects and analyzes data from training activities to assess program effectiveness, measure behavior change, and generate evidence that informs continuous improvement and supports PSG as an evidence-based initiative.

Anduril LLC

Anduril, LLC supports PSG through training delivery. Anduril provides subject matter experts who facilitate PSG training sessions, ensuring consistent, high-quality instruction and engagement with National Guard personnel across training locations.

Bios

CSTS/USU:

Adam Walsh	Christy Collette	Amila Odeh
Sara Bessman	Benjamin Kruger	Laura Wheeler
Stephen Cozza

 

NGB:

COL Shannon Stoppel

LTC Christopher Szopinski

Emily Vernon

As Integrated Primary Prevention Deputy Branch Chief, Emily Vernon supports the National Guard Bureau’s efforts to identify innovative solutions to improve prevention and wellness programs available to Service members in the National Guard.

She graduated from UNC Chapel-Hill in 2007 with a degree in Linguistics and Public Policy, receiving an M.Ed in Secondary Education, Spanish, and ESL from George Washington University in 2011.

Always a teacher at heart, Emily served as a Spanish and Special Education teacher at KIPP DC KEY Academy Middle School in Washington D.C. from 2009-2015. She later served as the Maryland National Guard Sexual Assault Response Coordinator before joining the National Guard Bureau as Active Duty Operational Support in the Warrior Resilience and Fitness Division. She later transitioned to serve in a civilian role with National Guard Bureau in her current position.

She is also a drilling member of the Maryland National Guard. She joined the North Carolina National Guard in 2003, received a commission in 2007, and deployed to Kuwait as the Executive Officer of a Combat Heavy Equipment Transporters Company under Operation Enduring Freedom in 2011. She is currently serving as the Maryland National Guard J4 on the Maryland National Guard Joint Staff.

Mercedes McWaters

 

Rutgers: 

Michael Anestis

Sultan Altikriti

Kati Tanguay

Kati Tanguayis a Research Teaching Specialist at the Gun Violence Research Center (GVRC)  at Rutgers University. She graduated from Temple University with a B.A. in Psychology with a minor in Cognitive Neuroscience. While at Temple University, she was a research assistant for the Mechanism of Affective Dysregulation Lab by exploring the relationship between emotional regulation, non-suicidal self-injury, and suicidal behaviors. At the GVRC, she continues to expand her research focus from emotion regulation and suicidal behavior to include suicide prevention, firearm ownership, and gun violence. This fall, Kati will continue her professional and academic training as a graduate student in the Clinical Psychology M.S. program at the University of Delaware

 

Anduril: 

Craig Bryan

Dr. Craig J. Bryan, PsyD, ABPP, is a board-certified clinical psychologist in cognitive behavioral psychology. He is a Professor of Psychiatry and the Director of the Suicide Care Clinic at the University of Vermont. Dr. Bryan received his PsyD in clinical psychology in 2006 from Baylor University and completed his clinical psychology residency at the Wilford Hall Medical Center, Lackland Air Force Base, TX. Dr. Bryan deployed to Balad, Iraq, in 2009, where he served as the Director of the Traumatic Brain Injury Clinic at the Air Force Theater Hospital. He separated from active duty service shortly after his deployment, and started researching PTSD, suicidal behaviors and suicide prevention strategies, and psychological health and resiliency. He has held faculty appointments at the University of Texas Health San Antonio, the University of Utah, The Ohio State University, and the University of Vermont, and has managed numerous federally funded projects in excess of $50 million focused on testing treatments for reducing suicidal behaviors, developing innovative methods to identify and detect high-risk individuals, and facilitating recovery after trauma. Dr. Bryan has published hundreds of peer-reviewed scientific articles and his research has been funded by a wide range of agencies including the Department of Defense, the National Institutes of Health, the Boeing Company, the Bob Woodruff Foundation, and the Navy SEAL Foundation, and has been featured in media outlets including Scientific American, CNN, Fox News, NPR, USA Today, the LA Times, the New York Times, and the Washington Post. Dr. Bryan has published hundreds of scientific articles and multiple books including Brief Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Suicide Prevention and Rethinking Suicide.

AnnaBelle Bryan

CEO, Anduril

AnnaBelle Bryan is the CEO, Anduril, the Director, Military and Veteran Engagement for the next generation of suicide focused care, Suicide Care Pathways, and Faculty Scientist at the University of Vermont, Larner College, Department of Psychiatry. AnnaBelle served on active duty in the U.S. Air Force for 20 years as a public health technician and executive officer at several military installations worldwide, to include a deployment to Iraq in 2009, where she was responsible for disease monitoring and health surveillance for over 25,000 military personnel and civilian contractors. Since 2010, AnnaBelle has been conducting research focused on military and veteran suicide prevention, PTSD (combat & Military Sexual Trauma), moral injury, and performance in these populations. She is the Principal Investigator and Co-Investigator on several Department of Defense-funded studies aimed at identifying indicators of emerging suicide risk and for enacting firearm safety procedures to prevent suicide. A certified specialist and developer of Airman and Guardian’s Edge, (AGE P2P) a military-focused peer-to-peer program, AnnaBelle provides training and guidance to several installations across the US Air and Space Forces around the world. AnnaBelle is the Co-Founder of the Suicide and Trauma Reduction Initiative (STRIVE) at The Ohio State University and the International Suicide Collaborative of Brief Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Suicide (ISC-BCBT) with psychologists and psychiatrists from Brazil, Germany, Iceland, and Spain. AnnaBelle holds a master’s degree in Exercise & Sports Psychology from The University of Utah.

Ashley Baker

Ashley Baker has been the Administrative Coordinator at Anduril, LLC since 2022, where she handles contracts across both the U.S. and international markets. Ashley works closely with the Anduril, LLC, and contracted teams to keep everything organized and running smoothly, from procurement to implementation. She enjoys being part of fast-paced environments and helping turn complex processes into something efficient and manageable. Outside of work, Ashley, her husband, and three children lead an active life filled with dance competitions, t-ball, and spending time with family and friends.

Justin Baker

Rosie Bauder

Samantha Daruwala

Jeffrey Tabares

Jeff Tabares is currently an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Vermont Larner College of Medicine. His interests in suicide prevention include non-linear modeling, temporality, transitions between symptom states, military health, and behavioral outcomes. Jeff has received advanced training in complex dynamical systems and applies these computational and theoretical concepts to understand how people move in and out of suicidal states and recover after experiencing suicidal crises, trauma, and other forms of adversity.

PSG Information Packet

• PSG One-Pager
• Introduction to Project Safe Guard presentation
• S/T/DC Implementation Guide: Flow Chart & Timelines
• S/T/DC Implementation Guide: POC Responsibilities
• Letter of Support Template
• Implementation Checklist: S/T/DC Form
• Advertising Flyer
• FAQ’s from S/T/DC

Walsh, A., Tanguay, K., Bessman, S.C., Collette, C.L., Odeh, A., Vernon, E.L., McWaters, M.L., & Anestis, M.D. (2026). Evolution of Project Safe Guard (PSG) Universal Training: Does PSG training change secure storage behavior [Abstract]. Military Health System Research Symposium, Kissimmee, FL, United States. 

Odeh, A., Bessman, S.C., Kruger, B.J., Collette, C.L., & Walsh, A.K. (2026, May 13). Early engagement to support implementation of secure storage of firearms training across the National Guard [Poster presentation]. USU Research Days, Bethesda, MD, United States. 

Anestis, M.D., Tanguay, K., Walsh, A.K., Tabares, J., Bessman, S.C., Bauser, R., Collette, C.L., Daruwala, S., Bryan, A.O., Baker, J.C., & Bryan, C.J. (2025, November 19-21). National Research Conference for the Prevention of Firearm-Related Harms, Tempe, AZ, United States. 

Walsh, A.K., Bryan, C.J., Anestis, M.D., Betz, M.E., Morganstein, J.C., Heintz Morrissey, B.A., McRae, S., Godin, S.J., Vernon, E. (2025, April 7-9). The evolution of Project Safe Guard in the National Guard: Towards an integrated sustained approach to firearm injury prevention [Powerpoint presentation]. Society for Advancement of Violence and Injury Research (SAVIR) Conference 2025, New York City, NY, United States. 

Walsh, A. K., Bryan, C. J., Anestis, M. D., Betz, M. E., Morganstein, J. C., Heintz Morrissey, B. A., Godin, S. J., Kruger, B. J., & Vernon, E. (2025). The Evolution of Project Safe Guard in the National Guard: Toward an Integrated Sustained Approach to Firearm Injury Prevention. Military medicine, 190(Supplement_2), 156–162. [DOI]

Walsh A. K.(2024, August 8-10) Project safe guard: Evaluating a lethal means safety intervention to reduce firearm suicide in the National Guard [Powerpoint presentation]. American Psychological Association (APA) Convention 2024, Seattle, WA, United States. 

Heintz Morrissey, B.,Walsh, A. K.,Morganstein, J.C., Bryan, C.J., Anestis, M., Betz, E.& 

Kelly, E (2024, April 18) Peer adaptation of an evidence based approach to firearm safe storage: A formative evaluation of four training sites in the National Guard. [Poster Presentation]. Suicide Research Symposium 2024, Virtual. 

Walsh, A., Friedman, K., Morrissey, B. H., Godin, S., Morganstein, J., Bryan, C. J., Anestis, M. D., Foley, S. K., Johnson, R. L., Baker, J. C., Bryan, A., Betz, M. E., & Wright-Kelly, E. (2024). Project Safe Guard: Evaluating a Lethal Means Safety Intervention to Reduce Firearm Suicide in the National Guard. Military medicine, 189(Suppl 3), 510–516. [DOI]

Anestis, M. D., Bryan, C. J., Capron, D. W., & Bryan, A. O. (2021). Lethal Means Counseling, Distribution of Cable Locks, and Safe Firearm Storage Practices Among the Mississippi National Guard: A Factorial Randomized Controlled Trial, 2018-2020. American journal of public health, 111(2), 309–317. [DOI] 

PSG is expanding across the force to ensure every service member has access to evidence-based lethal means safety training. The map below highlights the locations where we have successfully conducted in-person training and site visits.

32 in-person trainings completed

9 S/T/DC, 16 trips

1044 participants trained

Project Safe Guard (PSG) has demonstrated measurable improvements in secure firearm storage behaviors and related risk-reduction attitudes across multiple program generations.

Across PSG Generation I and II, participants have shown meaningful increases in secure firearm storage practices following the training:

• Participants were 40% more likely to report securely storing their firearms 
• Individuals who received a cable lock were 200% more likely to adopt secure storage practices (Anestis et al., 2021)

Early findings from PSG Generation III continue to indicate positive behavior change. At a one-month follow-up, 46.5% of PSG attendees reported securing at least one firearm that had previously been stored unlocked.

Participants more commonly reported changing storage behaviors to reduce risk to themselves and others, including:

• Preventing child or adolescent access (68.6%) 
• Reducing risk of unintentional injury or death (57.8%) 
• Preventing access by other unauthorized individuals (49.2%) 
• Reducing risk of theft (46.1%)

PSG supports broader prevention frameworks targeted at reducing multiple forms of firearm-related harm, including suicide, accidental injury, domestic violence, sexual assault, and child neglect. The program focuses on both behavioral change and cultural norm change around firearm security within the National Guard community.

“It was a really great experience all around. Several people commented to me that the stats shared were really eye-opening, especially since they were so relevant and specific to the Guard. As far as the lock boxes go, they all arrived on time, and we’ve been able to deliver most of them to the participants already. Again, a very easy process.”
– KS 184th Wing Guard

“So great to have the program out! The trainers were amazing.”
– MA 104th Fighter Wing

“The event was a success, and I very much enjoyed sitting in on the presentation! It was a pleasure meeting your team and working one-on-one with them. We are thankful to have such wonderful colleagues and opportunities for future collaboration.”
– Oklahoma Participant

“Attendees were actively engaged with the content. It was a unique and novel way to connect with the material. It allowed them to take personal ownership of the content and not immediately shut down. They were able to see the relevance and broader range of impact (the impact on different areas of harm) and maintain their own accountability. The message and content were relatable."
– Oklahoma Participant

“This is the best suicide prevention training I’ve ever attended, and the rest of the organization could benefit from PSG training.”
– NM Recruitment & Retention Battalion

“They are extremely nice security devices and are a fantastic complement to the safety training your team provided to our Company.”
– NC B/1/20

“Thank you again for all the effort that went into making this a successful event and for the commitment to the safety and well-being of our community. We would be honored to share your information with other units and organizations who could benefit from your vital course.”
– NC B/1/20

“The training provided went exceptionally well, and the only feedback I received from our formation was that they were extremely appreciative of the candor and knowledge of the speaker. There was plenty of time for post-training discussion and questions, resulting in good open conversation with your subject matter expert and a much more positive reception of suicide/violence prevention than what we usually receive for annual training.”
– NC B/1/20

Explore upcoming Project Safe Guard (PGS) trainings and events across the National Guard. Sessions are delivered in partnership with States, Territories, and the District of Columbia and are scheduled throughout the year. 

If you are interested in attending a specific PSG training, please contact the PSG team atcsts-ng-psg-team-ggg@usuhs.edu< for that State or Territory for additional information. 

Check back regularly for updates and newly scheduled trainings.