{"id":37011,"date":"2019-09-24T22:48:54","date_gmt":"2019-09-24T22:48:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/uncategorized\/2019\/09\/24\/meet-the-navy-chief-helping-suicidal-sailors-on-reddit\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T19:41:02","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T19:41:02","slug":"meet-the-navy-chief-helping-suicidal-sailors-on-reddit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/news\/your-navy\/2019\/09\/24\/meet-the-navy-chief-helping-suicidal-sailors-on-reddit\/","title":{"rendered":"Meet the Navy chief helping suicidal sailors on Reddit"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Eight days ago, someone claiming to be a cryptologic technician <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reddit.com\/r\/navy\/comments\/d4txe2\/suicidal_thoughts\/\" target=_blank>posted<\/a> to the Navy page of the anonymous online forum <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reddit.com\/r\/navy\/\" target=_blank>Reddit<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cBeen having suicidal thoughts for awhile,\u201d wrote the sailor, who said they were \u201cjust another dumb CT.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A friend had taken his gun for a bit, the sailor wrote, \u201ca good move on his part.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But the sailor felt things getting blacker.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI\u2019ve been putting another round in my revolver every time I\u2019m feeling like ending shit and its almost full,\u201d the CT wrote. \u201cI don\u2019t really know what I want to do, I know I have it good and got an easy life, but fuck, I just want to rest.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/news\/your-navy\/2019\/09\/24\/investigators-probing-four-suicides-involving-carrier-crew\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"173\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/SUICIDE-MAIN.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">Investigators probing four suicides involving carrier crew<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">Although two of the sailors killed themselves on the same day, Navy officials have distanced themselves from internet rumors describing their deaths as an \u201cepidemic.\u201d<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That sailor is not alone in his dark thoughts, and posts about suicide are more common on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reddit.com\/r\/navy\/\" target=_blank>Navy Reddit<\/a> than any shipmate would ever want to see.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Like he had with countless other posts about suicide and mental health on Navy Reddit this year, Chief Navy Counselor Gran Khanbalinov left a comment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cYou definitely don\u2019t need to do this!\u201d the khaki known on Reddit as \u201cChief Khan\u201d replied.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He told the CT how he himself had gone to mental health in 2012 for post-traumatic stress, depression and anxiety, and he still had his security clearance and a career.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201c8 years later I\u2019m still here!\u201d Chief Khan wrote. \u201cMy clearance hasn\u2019t been revoked and I\u2019m in khakis. You can get help and get better.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Khanbalinov told his shipmate to text him and left his number in the thread.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Connecting with suicidal sailors and veterans on Reddit and helping them get help has become Khanbalinov\u2019s collateral duty in 2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It\u2019s one he took upon himself when he posted his <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reddit.com\/r\/navy\/comments\/b5idl1\/suicide\/\" target=_blank>first Reddit video<\/a> in March, in uniform and without telling his command.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Chief Khan let sailors know that it\u2019s OK to seek help for mental health issues and to contact him if they needed to talk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He told them not to worry about hurting their division, or even the Navy, if they seek help.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Big Navy would keep steaming along, Khanbalinov said in the video, and sailors owe it to themselves to be a bit selfish and get the help they need.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cTalk to your chain of command,\u201d he said in the March video. \u201cIf your chain of command isn\u2019t helping you, go outside your chain of command.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Some commenters scoffed at the video, but it resonated in other corners of Reddit and Chief Khan began posting videos regularly and has since talked to roughly 100 sailors and veterans, encouraging them to seek help or just listening to them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cAlways a great thing to see someone in senior leadership who gives a damn,\u201d one user posted after that first video. \u201cThank you Chief, you\u2019ve given me hope that the stigma against mental health is changing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The chief admits he didn\u2019t know how Big Navy would react to him posting such unauthorized videos to Reddit \u2014 in uniform, at that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But he loved the anonymity of the forum and the \u201cbrutal honesty\u201d of its denizens.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI was going to put my face out there and talk about something a lot of people don\u2019t talk about,\u201d he recalled. \u201cIt could be embraced, or I could catch a lot of backlash for it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"939\" height=\"805\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/cropped-khan-reddit.png.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-70461\" srcset=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/cropped-khan-reddit.png.png 939w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/cropped-khan-reddit.png.png?resize=300,257 300w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/cropped-khan-reddit.png.png?resize=768,658 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 939px) 100vw, 939px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A Reddit user posted this drawing of Chief Grant Khanbalinov in appreciation for his efforts on the online forum to help suicidal sailors seek help. (Screenshot\/Reddit)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But it was something Khanbalinov said he just had to do. Shipmates were hurting, no matter how the chain of command would react.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI was always told, if you want to please everyone, sell ice cream,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Since then, Big Navy has signed off on Khanbalinov\u2019s mission and his innovative way of helping troubled sailors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Assigned to Navy Recruiting Command headquarters in Millington, Tennessee, Chief Khan is the command\u2019s national social media trainer, a position created for him to exploit his social media savvy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He spends his working hours traveling the country and teaching recruiters the finer points of social media.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But in his off time, the Russian-born, New York City-raised chief posts his cell phone number, fields calls and goes through messages from Reddit users seeking his help.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Khanbalinov stresses he is not a mental health professional but says that \u201cyou can talk to me and I\u2019ll push you in the right direction.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The chief said he hopes more conversation can lessen the stigma that lingers around mental health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe more we talk about it, the more we make sailors feel comfortable with it\u2026the easier it\u2019s going to be for my junior sailor to come up to me and say, \u2018Hey chief, this is the problem that I\u2019m having,\u2019 \u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI shouldn\u2019t be more comfortable on a Friday before all my sailors going on liberty talking about a DUI and not comfortable with talking about mental health,\u201d Khanbalinov added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Last year, 68 active-duty sailors took their own lives, a grim increase from a decade ago, when 38 sailors killed themselves in 2008, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.public.navy.mil\/bupers-npc\/support\/21st_Century_Sailor\/suicide_prevention\/Pages\/Statistics.aspx\" target=_blank>according to Navy data<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Just last week, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.navytimes.com\/news\/your-navy\/2019\/09\/24\/investigators-probing-four-suicides-involving-carrier-crew\/\" target=\"_blank\">three sailors<\/a> assigned to the aircraft carrier George H.W. Bush all died by suicide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Chief Khan recalled his first Reddit video getting a big online response.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Reading the comments, he realized he could help air out the issue via Reddit\u2019s anonymity, where sailors could feel safe addressing such things.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Posting videos under the name<a href=\"https:\/\/www.reddit.com\/user\/grantmkhan\/\" target=_blank> \/u\/grantmkhan<\/a>, Khanbalinov said people struggling with suicidal ideations began messaging him almost daily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sailors would talk of depression or concern about reprisal from their chain of command or others having to pick up the slack in their wake, he recalled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cSometimes I talk on the phone with them for hours and convince them to go get help. Others, it just took one or two messages and they\u2019re on their way to the chaplain,\u201d Khanbalinov said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Some shipmates are dealing with work issues, while others struggle with childhood trauma or relationship stressors, he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI\u2019ve heard from chiefs, officers, it\u2019s all over the place,\u201d Khanbalinov said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"7458\" height=\"5327\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/chief-khan-navy-pic-2.jpg.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-70467\" srcset=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/chief-khan-navy-pic-2.jpg.jpg 7458w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/chief-khan-navy-pic-2.jpg.jpg?resize=300,214 300w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/chief-khan-navy-pic-2.jpg.jpg?resize=768,549 768w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/chief-khan-navy-pic-2.jpg.jpg?resize=1024,731 1024w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/chief-khan-navy-pic-2.jpg.jpg?resize=1536,1097 1536w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/chief-khan-navy-pic-2.jpg.jpg?resize=2048,1463 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 7458px) 100vw, 7458px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">While Chief Navy Counselor Grant Khanbalinov started helping suicidal sailors on Reddit on his own earlier this year, his innovative approach to those dealing with such issues has since been embraced by Big Navy. (Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Zachary S. Eshleman\/Navy)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cSome don\u2019t want to lose their (security) clearances, some don\u2019t want to get kicked out,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Khanbalinov tells them that \u201ca very small percentage\u201d will get kicked out over mental health issues, but regardless, their mental well-being is paramount.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI tell everyone, if that does happen, the Navy is temporary,\u201d Khanbalinov said. \u201cThere\u2019s life after the Navy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Khanbalinov said he had the same concerns when he started having post-traumatic stress in 2012 after a deployment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He was having recurring nightmares, grinding his teeth and getting angry easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Khanbalinov went to medical, underwent therapy, got past his issues and now has his anchors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He said he\u2019s heard \u201csome good, some bad\u201d about his efforts from the Chiefs\u2019 Mess, but he hopes the authority in his anchors shows junior sailors that talking about such issues, and seeking help, is OK.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI\u2019m not doing this to put a star on my anchor,\u201d he said. \u201cI think that\u2019s when they become more receptive to it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Khanbalinov said he brushes off the trash talk about him that inevitably surfaces on an anonymous forum like Reddit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.reddit.com\/r\/navy\/comments\/cz5kht\/so_has_anyone_actually_gotten_help_from_this_ncc\/\" target=_blank>One post<\/a> from earlier this month asked if Khanbalinov is actually helping anyone or just promoting himself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWhile \/u\/grantmkhan can be a little\u2026Chiefy? The fact that people are accepting mental illness as an inherent risk in the military lifestyle and not some sort of mysterious evil that makes you lose your job is very important to getting people to ask for help when they need it,\u201d one user wrote.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Another poster wrote that nuclear rating sailors face a high likelihood of losing their job if they seek help, but that airing the issue out helps make it more acceptable for sailors to explore getting help without fear of repercussion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cAs someone who has been stuck in that hole before, I can assure you that this makes a world of difference,\u201d the user wrote.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI honestly think he has good intentions, while also thinking he is trying to advance his career,\u201d another user wrote. \u201cMCPON might be a goal of his or CMC.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI don\u2019t think I can ever stay in that long lol,\u201d Chief Khan replied.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><i>If you, a friend or a loved one is in crisis, please connect with a trained counselor now. Confidential, immediate help is available 24\/7 at no cost to active duty, Guard and reserve members, their families and friends. Contact the Military Crisis Line at 800-273-8255, then press 1, or access online chat by texting 838255. Your life matters.<\/i><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n    <blockquote class=\"reddit-card\" >\n      <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reddit.com\/r\/navy\/comments\/b5idl1\/suicide\/?ref_source=embed&amp;ref=share\">Suicide<\/a> from\n      <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reddit.com\/r\/navy\/\">navy<\/a>\n    <\/blockquote>\n    <script async src=\"https:\/\/embed.redditmedia.com\/widgets\/platform.js\" charset=\"UTF-8\"><\/script>\n\n\n\n\n\n    <blockquote class=\"reddit-card\" >\n      <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reddit.com\/r\/navy\/comments\/buzi7v\/last_one_for_a_while_thanks_everyone_for\/?ref_source=embed&amp;ref=share\">Last one for a while! Thanks everyone for listening. You can always reach out to me.<\/a> from\n      <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reddit.com\/r\/navy\/\">navy<\/a>\n    <\/blockquote>\n    <script async src=\"https:\/\/embed.redditmedia.com\/widgets\/platform.js\" charset=\"UTF-8\"><\/script>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Chief Grant Khanbalinov started posting videos encouraging sailors to seek help earlier this year.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":70459,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_acf":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":65,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_smg_distribution_targets":{"2":{"categories":["your-military","news","disaster","left-column","home"],"primary_category":"your-military"}}},"categories":[101,22,23,88,12,26,65],"tags":[],"coauthors":[3355],"class_list":["post-37011","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-daily-news-roundup","category-disaster","category-home","category-left-column","category-news","category-newsletters","category-your-navy"],"acf":{"subheadline":"","legacy_arc_id":"RBDOVPV3PZCSFGMEXXWJMKTLBY","arc_canonical_url":"\/news\/your-navy\/2019\/09\/24\/meet-the-navy-chief-helping-suicidal-sailors-on-reddit\/","remove_feature_photo":false,"is_sponsored":false,"subtype":"","redirect_url":"","disable_inline_ads":false,"native_logo_pretext":"Presented By:"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.0 (Yoast SEO v28.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Meet the Navy chief helping suicidal sailors on Reddit - Navy Times<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Chief Grant Khanbalinov started posting videos encouraging sailors to seek help earlier this year.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Meet the Navy chief helping suicidal sailors on Reddit\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Chief Grant Khanbalinov started posting videos encouraging sailors to seek help earlier this year.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" 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