Fort Hood Takes Extra Measures To Halt Soldier Suicides

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Posted on 1st October 2010 by gjohnson in Uncategorized

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Fort Hood in Texas has a suicide-prevention program, but the number of soldiers taking own lives there continues to rise at a record rate, with four killing themselves this week.

 http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/30/us/30hood.html

 In response to the latest round of deaths, the Army is having superior officers make extra visits to thousands of soliders at Foot Hood, which has had 14 suicides so far this year, including the most recent four deaths.

 http://www.wlbt.com/story/13244089/fort-hood-assessing-soldiers-in-wake-of-suicides

Fort Hood is the largest  U.S. base, according to The New York Times, and it has been plagued by mental illness, suicide and domesic violence as groups of soldiers return from overseas combat duty — which often entails multiple tours and brain injury from bomb blasts.

Last Sunday 31-year-old Sgt. Michael Franklin, who served two tours in Iraq, killed his wife on the base and then turned his gun on himself. And just shy of a year ago Army psychiatrist Major Nidal Hassan allegedly killed 13 people at the post.

The Associated Press reported Thusday that now that Fort Hood has hit 14 suicides for 2010, more than 32,000 solidiers from the rank of sergeant and below will get visits from their superiors in their barracks or in their homes to get a grasp on how they are doing.  

Fort Hood already has a Resiliency Campus, which was meant to help soliders and their families prepare for deployment. But that center is not aimed at preventing suicides. 

But now Fort Hood plans to offer training at how to spot troops that are having problems and may be contemplating suicide.     

Marines Looking To Rescue Corps Members From Suicide, Not Just Enemy Fire

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Posted on 12th September 2010 by gjohnson in Uncategorized

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It’s been well-documented, but the suicide rate in the U.S. military is at an all all-time. Now the Marines have come up with a idea to stop the sensesless deaths, and it’s simple yet brilliant: Apply the “leave-no-man-behind” ethic to suicide.

The idea is that just as Marines watch out for each other when they’re in combat, they must also watch out for the mental health — and keep on eye out for signs of depression and despair –  in their comrades in arms.

This concept was discussed by The Los Angeles Times Friday in a story headlined “Marine Corps seeks to use buddy ethic to stem rise in suicides.” 

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-afghanistan-suicides-20100910,0,2070757.story

The Times story starts out talking abut a young Marine in Afghanistan who killed himself after receiving a “Dear John” letter from his girlfriend in the states. None of the guys in his unit had any idea how upset the young soldier had been about the break-up.

The unit then got a visit from Sgt. Major Carlton Kent, who has been traveling to outposts to tell our soldiers that they need to proactively keep watch for signs of emotional problems among the fellow troops — and come to their aid, try to get them help, according to The Times.

The Marine Corps has the highest suicide rate of all of the military branches, according to The Times, with 52 Marines killing themselves last year, versus 42 the prior year.

A congressional report on military suicides last month recommended that a central office on suicide in all the military branches be formed.  

http://www.subtlebraininjury.com/blog/2010/08/task-force-recommends-creation-of-military-suicide-office.html?preview=true&preview_id=577&preview_nonce=012636204b

But Kent told The Times that the Marines can’t wait years for an outside agency to find a way to end suicides.

“The answer, he said, lies within the corps itself,” The Times reported. “Marines have a solemn duty to rescue other Marines from suicide, just as they would come to their aid in combat, he said.”

That sounds like what the Marine motto Semper Fi is all about. Marines are sworn to remain faithful to their mission, their country,  the Corps and each other,  no matter what.  

   

Task Force Recommends Creation of Military Suicide Office

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Posted on 27th August 2010 by gjohnson in Uncategorized

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Even though the military has almost 900 suicide prevention programs at 400 installations around the globe, that system isn’t working to stop suicides by soldiers, according to a congressional report released this week.   

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/08/24/AR2010082406361.html

As suicides in the service are reaching an all-time high, the military needs better strategic planning at its suicide prevention programs, a task force created last year by Congress reported.

The report made 76 recommendations to Defense Secretary David Gates, with one of the main ones being that the Pentagon start an office to develop strategy and coordinate all the programs that the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps have, according to the Associated Press.

The repeated tours that the Army and Marines have served in Iraq and Afghanistan have token a high toll on our troops, with high suicide rates in those outfits. From 2005 to 2009 more than 1,100 members of the services habve taken their own lives.

The report was done by a panel of 14 civilian and military doctors and civilians who have been involved in suicide.

“The task force commends the armed forces for the suicide prevention initiatives it has undertaken and knows of no other employer that has focused as much attention and resources on suicide prevention,” the report said.

But it added that even with that effort, the disparate suicide prevention programs ”could benefit from re-engineering” and coordination.