The three-day stand down will commence Wednesday, May 27 with three Brigade-plus sized formations where Townsend will personally address every Soldier assigned to the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault). The formations will be held at 7, 8 and 9 a.m. at various locations on Fort Campbell.

The purpose of the division-wide Suicide Prevention Stand-Down is to provide focused time, free from the competing routines of unit life, to allow leaders and Soldiers to focus on arresting the rate of suicides and suicidal behaviors on Fort Campbell. This will be accomplished by continuing a broad campaign which began in March and by placing renewed energy and emphasis into several key tasks.

Senior leaders were tasked with reviewing and updating lists of Soldiers most at risk for suicide and to focus on those Soldiers; reminding Soldiers that leaders care and are available and ensuring leaders and Soldiers at all levels are aware of the programs in place to offer assistance to Soldiers and Families.

Fort Campbell Soldiers and Families are encouraged to seek appropriate assistance. Free, confidential help is available 24/7 by calling Military One Source at 1-800-342-9647, or online at www.militaryonesource.com.

A complete list of crisis assistance programs is also available through the Fort Campbell website at http://www.campbell.army.mil/crisis/index.html

Suicide.  Self-inflicted death. The pain that drives an individual to commit suicide is mirrored by the pain experienced by those left behind to mourn.

In the past year, suicide has touched a number of families and individuals in our community. Two newly married men.  A high school boy. A college student. A friend. We react with shock that spirals into grief punctuated by a simple question: Why? And “was there something we could have done? Or noticed?”

Suicide is on the rise, both in the military and within our communities. By a margin of 2-1, it outstrips homicide as a cause of death in the United States, and is the 11th ranked cause of death in the United States. Statistically, more men actually succeed in killing themselves, while more women attempt suicide but do not die, in part because  men typically use more violent means (guns, hanging) to end their lives than women, who often use failure-prone methods such as overdosing.

Suicide may occur for a number of reasons, including depression, shame, guilt, desperation, physical pain, emotional pressure, anxiety, financial difficulties, or other undesirable situations. The World Health Organization noted that over one million people commit suicide every year, and that it is one of the leading causes of death among teenagers and adults under 35. There are an estimated 10 to 20 million non-fatal attempted suicides every year worldwide. It is estimated that each suicide in the United States leaves an average of six people intimately affected by the death, either as a spouse, parent, significant other, sibling, or child of the deceased person. These people are referred to as survivors.

Click here to view the embedded video.

The predominant view of modern medicine is that suicide is a mental health concern, associated with psychological factors such as the difficulty of coping with depression, inescapable suffering or fear, or other mental disorders and pressures. Suicide is sometimes interpreted as a “cry for help” and attention, or to express despair and the wish to escape, rather than a genuine intent to die. Most people who attempt suicide do not complete suicide on a first attempt; those who later gain a history of repetitions have a significantly higher probability of eventual completion of suicide.

Common Suicide Risk Indicators

• A previous suicide attempt, even if it seemed staged or designed to get attention, or boasts of past or secret suicide attempts.
• Talking about being dead or wishing they were dead, how others would be happier if he/she were dead or how much better off others will be when he/she is gone.
• Repeatedly engaging in very risky or dangerous thrill seeking behavior.
• “Getting the house in order” – making plans for the care of loved siblings, parents, relatives or pets and giving away cherished belongings to close friends.
• Extreme mood swings; very depressed episodes followed by happy episodes with no clear reason for the change.
• Regular expressions of worthlessness, helplessness, sadness and/or loneliness.
• Drastic changes in habits, friends, or appearance, ie: new friends, skipping school, dropping out of favorite activities, and no longer caring about appearance or cleanliness.
• Changes in weight, sleeping habits, and physical activity.

A risk-assessment quiz designed for teenagers is available online.

When someone dies by suicide the people left behind can wrestle with a terrible emotional pain. Teens who have had a recent loss or crisis or who had a family member or classmate who committed suicide may be especially vulnerable to suicidal thinking and behavior themselves.

If you’ve been close to someone who has attempted or committed suicide, it can help to talk with a therapist or counselor — someone who is trained in dealing with this complex issue. Or, you could join a group for survivors where you can share your feelings and get the support of people who have been in the same situation as you.

What if this is you?

If you have been thinking about suicide, get help now. Depression is powerful. You can’t wait and hope that your mood might improve. When a person has been feeling down for a long time, it’s hard to step back and be objective.

Talk to someone you trust as soon as you can. If you can’t talk to a parent or a friend, talk to a coach, a relative, a school counselor, a religious leader, or a teacher. Call a suicide crisis line (such as 1-800-SUICIDE or 1-800-999-9999) or your local emergency number (911). These toll-free lines are staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week by trained professionals who can help you without ever knowing your name or seeing your face. All calls are confidential — no one you know will find out that you’ve called.

What if this is someone you know?

It is always a good thing to start a conversation with someone you think may be considering suicide. It allows you to get help for the person, and just talking about it may help the person to feel less alone and more cared about and understood.

Talking things through may also give the person an opportunity to consider other solutions to problems. Most of the time, people who are considering suicide are willing to talk if someone asks them out of concern and care. Because people who are depressed are not as able to see answers as well as others, it can help to have someone work with them in coming up with at least one other way out of a bad situation.

Even if a friend or classmate swears you to secrecy, you must get help as soon as possible — your friend’s life could depend on it. Someone who is seriously thinking about suicide may have sunk so deeply into an emotional hole that the person could be unable to recognize that he or she needs help.

Trauma, PTSD, and Suicide

In a survey of 5,877 people across the United States, it was found that people who had experienced physical or sexual assault at some point in their life also had a high likelihood of attempting to take their own life at some point:

• Nearly 22% of people who had been raped had also attempted suicide at some point in their life.
• Approximately 23% of people who had experienced a physical assault had also attempted suicide at some point in their life.

These rates of suicide attempts increased considerably among people who had experienced multiple incidents of sexual (42.9%) or physical assault (73.5%). They also found that a history of sexual molestation, physical abuse as a child, and neglect as a child were associated with high rates of suicide attempts (17.4% to 23.9%)

People with a diagnosis of PTSD are also at greater risk to attempt suicide. Among people who have had a diagnosis of PTSD at some point in their lifetime, approximately 27% have also attempted suicide.

Suicide has also become an item of serious concern within the military, which has recorded epidemic levels of suicide in the past year. The stress of repeated deployments  on both military personnel and their families has triggered a surge of emotional/psychiatric issues, including surges in both suicide and domestic violence. The surge in numbers has  forced the Pentagon to focus more intently on suicide prevention among its personnel.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Source Material:

• TeensHealth: The Nemours Foundation
• World Health Organization
• SAVE: Suicide Awareness Voices of  Education
• Suicide.com
• National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
• National Institute of Mental Health

Suicide is the eleventh leading cause of death in people of all ages. Also, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the average rate of suicides in the United States is 89 per day. This equals roughly one suicide every 16 minutes. In 2005, eight percent of U.S. high school students had reported at least one attempt at suicide at some point in the previous 12 months. The rate of U.S. high school students reporting that they seriously considered a suicide attempt in the last year was 16.9%. Also, males commit suicide at almost four times the rate that females commit suicide. In four out of every five cases, there are warning signs against possible suicide.

When the news of a loved one is given, the survivor goes through an emotional rollercoaster that never seems to stop. Grief, blame, anger, confusion, shame, relief, abandonment, despair, and betrayal are common emotions felt by survivors of suicide. They may feel angry at the person who has taken their life and feel as though they were not considering how it would affect others. They also may be confused by why that person felt there was no alternative. They may also face perceived stigma or shame at what others will think of the suicide.

The grieving process varies from person to person, and some stages may take longer than others. The grieving process may go away and resurface again later. For suicide survivors living life after their loss is never easy. Common phrases from friends and family such as “I’d kill myself before wearing that outfit!” or “I wish I were dead.” can feel like a slap in the face at what that person has just experienced. Survivors should understand that those phrases are often uttered without much thought and are not intended to be hurtful.

I lost one of my closest friends, Temple Kirkpatrick Smith Jr. on March 1^st, 2008. He was an all around great guy. He was pursuing a degree in science at Middle Tennessee State University on scholarships he had earned during High School just 2 years previously; he had just bought a house, had a great job, did volunteer work, had plenty of friends, worked as a youth minister in his church, and had a fantastic family. Kirk and I went to High School together, and we shared a lot of great memories. He had everything going for him, but somehow something made him take his own life. This revelation turned my sense of reality upside down. I knew it couldn’t be true; Kirk wasn’t depressed and didn’t exhibit any outward warning signs that are often associated with suicide.

On March 1^st, around 10:30am Kirk called one of his friends and made plans to spend time together the next day playing video games. Sometime around 11:45 a.m. he went to the Kroger near his home and purchased a candle lighter (the ones with the long stem). He then came home, entered his garage, doused himself in gasoline, and ignited the lighter. The call to police came in around 12:00-12:15 p.m. and the emergency services crew found Kirkpatrick, burned. They were able to stop the fire before it spread to the house.

As a survivor of his suicide, I’ll never know why he did this. All of the conclusions I can draw are that he felt there was no other method of resolving whatever problem he was having. The fact that he took this to such an extreme and violent means such as fire indicates to me that whatever was wrong had been torturing him for some time. In the month before this, I had spoken with him on the phone and we had caught up on the latest news on what was going on with each other, talked about summer camp (We were counselors together at a leadership camp we both attended previously) and argued over themes for camp. Nothing ever could have indicated that he was bothered or disturbed by anything.

For me, the most unsettling part of his passing is that I’ll never know the “why” that all survivors of suicide have a need to know. Some will securely take comfort in faith that they’ll see their loved ones again in the afterlife. I take comfort in knowing that Kirk will always hold a special place in my heart. Without the “why” some survivors find it difficult to work through the grieving process. I’ve found that the process never ends. Shortly after his passing, I saw Kirk in my dreams and heard his voice in my head. I still feel tears welling up in my eyes when I see his picture. I don’t know that I’ll ever get past these things.

Who is at risk?

Suicide survivors are at risk for suicide themselves. The entire experience brings suicide from the darkest shadows of our minds front and center and shifts our focus onto it. Because of this, suicide survivors may consider committing suicide themselves in an effort to be with their loved one. Often, they feel isolated and alone and may fall into deep depressions. Instead of being left to grieve on their own, friends and family of suicide survivors should encourage the survivor to talk about their feelings. Even when they say they don’t want to talk about it, you can still show your support by letting them know that you are available to talk with them. Let them know they are not alone, and continue to encourage them to talk about the suicide. Be considerate of any special days such as anniversaries and birthdays of their loved one. Don’t make assumptions or talk about things that you don’t know such as the suicide being a result of ongoing depression or commenting on the decision the loved one made. At that moment in time, they felt that suicide was the best option available to them and acted on it.

As time progresses, it will often be easier for the survivor to talk about their loss, and move along with life. I’ve found that it’s best for me to talk openly about what happened. I’ll still talk about Kirk as he was, such as “One of my best friends was a Titans fan.” I can’t just move on from our friendship as it was and not speak of him again. I can’t just erase the past six years of knowing him. I expect that other survivors feel the same way and don’t feel it’s appropriate to stop referring to their loved one, so you shouldn’t either. If they bring up the subject, you should feel able to do so as well. They talk about their loved one to remember them.

The warning signs

Everyone should be aware of suicide warning signs. They may very well save someone’s life. Watch out for friends and family who seem preoccupied with death and dying such as writing songs or stories or poetry about such. Be aware that people who feel hopeless are at risk as well. Making statements such as “Everyone would be better off without me.” are strong indicators that person may feel worthless and may see suicide as a way to stop being a burden. Also, people who start to settle their affairs suddenly could be preparing for suicide. Making out wills, making arrangements to care for children or other family members, and giving away all important possessions can indicate that person is trying to get things in order before a suicide. Major and often sudden changes in moods can indicate a risk. If someone has been sad or depressed lately and is very suddenly very happy and positive may have made a decision that they feel will bring them out of that sadness and depression by means of suicide. Isolation is often associated with suicide, withdrawing from normal activities can indicate depression which is frequently paired with suicide.

It’s important to make sure that the person exhibiting warning signs knows they can talk with you about their feelings. You should listen honestly and completely without passing any judgment on them or their thoughts. Offer that person hope. Let them know that their situation will pass and things will get better. Shift their focus from the problems in the now, to the goals and dreams in the future. Don’t promise to keep your talk a secret. If the time comes and you know they are going to commit suicide, you’ll have to choose to break a promise and lose the friendship or keep a promise and lose the friend. This is never an easy choice. Help that person seek out professional help. Research it with them online, find local help. Offer to drive them to an appointment with a therapist or doctor. Help them find ways to get their mind off of their problems. Join a gym together, go bowling with friends, or dine out at a favorite restaurant. Anything to get them out of their regular routine for a short while will help them clear their head about problems they’re having.

Listed below are some resources if you’d like to learn more about Suicide, Suicide Survivors, and Suicide Prevention. These were the main resources I used in this article and I hope you’ll find them equally helpful.

http://www.helpguide.org/mental/suicide_prevention.htm

http://www.cdc.gov/ncipc/dvp/suicide/

http://ub-counseling.buffalo.edu/suicide.shtml

http://www.suicide.org/suicide-warning-signs.html

http://www.survivorsofsuicide.com/

http://www.suicide.org/suicide-support-groups.html

Last fall, there was an article in the Leaf Chronicle [10.12.07] titled, Fort Campbell General stresses suicide prevention. It reported that with nine suicides for the year, and 16 deaths pending investigation, and with three suicides in the last two weeks, the general said:

“This is unacceptable and it must stop. I want everyone associated with Fort Campbell to take pause, and to focus on what we can do as a community to reverse this trend.”

According to the Fort Campbell Courier, [12.20.07 vol. 43, no. 51], Maj. Gen. Jeffrey Schloesser, Commanding General at Fort Campbell, made suicide prevention his priority since he took command in 2006. He expanded the “buddy care” program, which has soldiers watching out for each other, to “unit watch,” a program used by commanders when a soldier has suicidal thoughts. Now he is training families to recognize signs through “Building Family Resiliency” programs. He was quoted as saying:

“The individual has got to take personal responsibility. They have got to take responsibility for themselves and realize that they can save their own lives. It comes back to the individual.”

An army wife spoke out about these articles and about what was going on at the base because of the suicide scares. This is her view, in her words:

I only became aware of these “programs” when there was apparently an increase in suicides in the November/December time frame.

At first I thought they had to be kidding.

The approach seemed to be such a knee jerk reaction and was basically like a lockdown. It seemed to be good for command but not for soldiers or families. It was said by a few soldiers that it had even been discussed to simply move all the soldiers on post until they left for deployment. A 75 mile radius without approved leave was instated.

My husband suddenly had to do two formations a day — am and pm. If his commander was not present they had to wait for the commander to show up — so sometimes they’d be waiting around for hours.

So during that last month together we felt the grip tighten and it was very uncomfortable in terms of having reasonable last weeks as a family. Deployment is hard enough without adding this type of stress. It was highly dysfunctional. There was nothing official given to the family. To my knowledge we were not addressed at all.

I remember thinking how reactionary this was, and how anyone with any sense at all in a management or leadership level should consult with psychiatric professionals on the matter. I do not believe this ever happened.

The reaction was so harsh to all of the soldiers and their families that it is a miracle it didn’t cause further damage in suicide rates. It certainly heightened the stress levels. It was so obvious a cover-yourself-paper-trail reaction. It felt like the command was incensed that these soldiers would do this (suicide) on their watch.

I never saw any concern as to the WHY or the CAUSE of this increase. It is no secret that this command has been less than supportive of its people. When I did a scant amount of research and found further documentation that this leadership places full responsibility for soldiers not being able to cope with deployment stress squarely on the shoulders of those soldiers, I was furious and disgusted.

The increase in deployment rotation no longer allows for families and soldiers to readjust fully and complete the emotional deployment cycle before they re-enter the next deployment cycle emotionally.

So the fact that this type of stress and reaction is placed solely at the soldier’s feet is absolutely wrong. I also find absolute absurdity and irony in the idea of “battle buddy” as prevention to suicide — especially if the soldier is to take responsibility for himself and his own actions. People who are at the level of being suicidal aren’t going to call some randomly assigned “buddy” to help them through it. Besides, they hand these soldiers weapons and these soldiers handle multi-million dollar equipment, but they need to be assigned a battle buddy to prevent them from killing themselves? I would certainly love to see the psychiatric basis for any of these decisions as well as the considered psychological impact on the family.

Do I feel like this command gave a damn about these soldiers or their families? Not at all. I think this command was concerned with the professional and political impact this (suicide rates) would have on their individual career. Is that a strong opinion-you bet it is!

What really amazes me is that this problem was bad enough to put these high level restrictions on our lives but not one single news outlet picked this up. The media should be ashamed if they knew and said nothing. I’ve heard rumors that this has been one of the worst years at Fort Campbell ever and that it’s possibly the worst rate Army wide.

But who’s to tell-none of the numbers are being released-just those of us going on with our daily lives being basically punished because some commander is furious that soldiers are so depressed that they have felt it necessary to resort to suicide.

My husband told me the way they assess risk is with a standard question matrix that they all had to submit to. A spreadsheet isn’t going to tell you accurately who is truly at risk. What is overwhelming emotionally to one person may be not a big deal to another. If “this must stop!” then why not bring in professionals? They have the access to them but they are too concerned with their career to do the right thing. It’s easier to blame the victim.

Someone once said “The first sure sign of lack of control is over-control.” How is it no one seemed to notice something was so desperately wrong over at Fort Campbell and so obviously out of control? Where are our representatives and our senators? Where are the reporters? Why did no one seem to notice this thing?

Local therapist responds …

Polly Coe, a Clarksville-based mental health therapist working with troops, said she has heard such comments,concerns and frustrations many times over. Coe writes:

I have heard comments just like the ones of the soldier’s wife quoted many times over, and I quite agree with her. The buddy approach is a farce. Understandably, the Army tends to suspect suicidal ideation as a means to get out of deployment. However, it is ignoring the clear fact that suicides are increasing and is not looking at why.

Between the second and recent third deployments, many soldiers I saw did not want to go on the next deployment. Primarily, they did not want to be gone from their families that long – e.g.:15 months. But even some of the Special Forces guys, who have shorter but more frequent rotations, have also expressed frustration at the inability to have a decent family life.

I have not worked with any suicidal soldiers. However, a couple seriously discussed harming themselves to avoid deployment. Relatively few of the enlisted soldiers and NOC’s whom I saw “believe in” these wars, although officers tend to buy into the wars more. Many of the enlisted soldiers do not seem to think that they are fighting for freedom or against the terrorists. They feel that their efforts are wasted, that they are risking their lives to do missions that will be undone the minute they turn their backs or go to the next town.

The soldiers with families are also aware of the impact their absence has on their families. Starting last summer, before the third deployments, I started seeing a lot of boys, age 10-14, sons of soldiers, who confided in me that they feared that Dad wouldn’t survive the third deployment, that he will finally be killed. I couldn’t promise them that their dad would make it, so this was heart breaking work as a therapist.

I would love an honest survey of the military who have to fight in Iraq and Afghanistan – how many believe that they are making a difference, improving the lives of the locals, saving the U.S. from terrorists? How many would volunteer to go? Perhaps the reason for the increased suicidality is the increasing disillusionment of the soldiers with the war.

Coe has frequently spoken out about the impact the war and multiple extended deployments has had on soldiers and their families across the country.

Ward was a well-liked businessman whose business, Bo’s Barber Shop near Gate 1, had strong patronage from the military at Fort Campbell. He was a strong supporter of the soldiers based at Fort Campbell.

With the 5-7 denial of a second reading on that request Thursday night and a City Council moratorium on zone changes in that area, Ward apparently felt he would lose everything he worked for and chose to take his own life in front of his wife, the city leaders who denied his request, and a room full of residents attending that meeting.

As the reality of that denial set in, Ward stood up, walked toward the Council, was told by Mayor Johnny Piper, who serves as the President of the City Council, that he could not speak. Ward acknowledged that he could not address the Council, but told Piper the ruling “put him under” and that he [Bo] was “out of here.” He placed the barrel of a small silver handgun in mouth and pulled the trigger, falling at the feet of the audience as his wife, screaming, threw herself over him.

The public was quickly ushered out of the ensuing chaos in City Council Chambers with screams, sobs and some somber silence even as police and fire/rescue personnel attending the meeting reacted to the tragedy.

While many knew Ward would be disappointed by the ruling, no one expected his violent, self-directed response. Even as the suicide unfolded, there was a grim awareness that the gun could just as easily have been turned on city officials or members of the public attending that session. Instead, though, apparently believing he had no way out of his financial difficulties and no alternatives, he took his life.

Mayor Johnny Piper today said that in the aftermath of this tragedy City Council Chamber would not used again, and alternate meeting places would be utilized until a new site for City Council meetings would be found. While a posted sign tells visitors that “firearms are prohibited,” the Chamber, unlike the Courthouse, is not a secure facility, does not require security checks and does not employ metal detectors or other screening processes.

Bold yellow tape now designates the City Council Chamber as a crime scene and the Clarksville Police Major Crimes Unit is investigating. Since Council meetings are taped for public access broadcast, the incident was recorded but that tape will not be aired publicly.

Police Department chaplains are available at the E-911 Center today from 10 a.m. on to counsel anyone who was at the meeting or has been affected by this tragedy. Witnessing incidents such as this can trigger deep and long-lasting responses. Even after the initial shock and horror ebb, the underlying trauma remains, and for some people may resurface in the form of stress, depression or post-traumatic stress, sometimes months after the fact. Counseling, and access to mental health professionals or spiritual counselors can be vital in coping with the trauma if witnessing tragedy and the city is helping to provide some of that care via the E-911 service.

– Charles Cureton to NewsChannel 5/Nashville

Cureton was in City Council Chambers when Clarksville businessman Bo Ward, owner of Bo’s Barber Shop on Fort Campbell Boulevard, committed suicide Thursday evening before the Council and an estimated fifty people attending the meeting after a zoning request he was seeking was denied a reading.

Few words can adequately describe the horror that unfolded in City Council chambers tonight as Clarksville businessman Bo Ward, proprietor of Bo’s Barber Shop on Fort Campbell Boulevard, pulled out a handgun and shot himself to death before the council and approximately 50 other people.

“People were screaming in disbelief. Horror. The room was pretty well packed and there were a lot of elderly people there. They were pretty shaken up.” — Cureton

The City Council councilors voted down Ward’s request for a zone change on his Madison Street property, a move that Ward felt would sink him financially. Last month the Council voted favorably on the first reading of the requested change, but apparently in further discussion shifted their decision out of Ward’s favor.

According to reports, Ward then pulled out a small silver gun from a pants pocket, placed the gun in his mouth and pulled the trigger as onlookers watched in shock.

In addressing the Council Ward said his business “would go under” without a favorable ruling, implying that his business and finances may have been overburdened. Ward then approached the council members and Mayor Johnny Piper after the vote, saying he “was done” [Leaf Chronicle 10/4/07] and implying that his business would become insolvent.

The Bo’s sign, his slogan “Bo Knows Hair,” and the log cabin style building that housed his shop were a familiar site to commuters making the daily run along Fort Campbell Boulevard. The shop is located near Tobacco Road. His $9 haircuts were a bit pricier than some, but satisfied customers were the heart of his business.

The specifics of Ward’s financial issues and what might have driven him to suicide were not yet known.

The police detained people for questioning and to review the eyewitness accounts of the event. It is not known exactly how much of the event was recorded on Council cameras, but ward was reportedly within six feet of a microphone used by people addressing the Council when he committed suicide.

Unlike the city’s police station and courthouse, which have heavy security and metal detectors in place, the City Council Chambers does not have any such security measures, a situation which allowed Ward to carry a handgun into the building.

“It’s not surprising,” said Clarksville Therapist Polly Coe as she heard details of the report stating that suicide rates among Army personnel have hit their highest rate in 26 years, with 25% of those self-inflicted deaths occurring in the Afghanistan and Iraq arenas. Iraq led the numbers with the most reported suicides and suicide attempts, according to a report released by the U.S. Army.

I’ve been hearing about it,” Coe said, while voicing a bit optimism that the Army is acknowledging the program and bolstering its metal health treatment efforts for troops worldwide. “They (Army) have to got to face this. Many of these soldiers are facing overwhelming depression and desperately need treatment.” Mental health issues among troops have reached “disastrous” proportions, Coe said, noting that suicides have been occurring not just among enlisted troops but officers as well.

Army officials report 99 confirmed suicides by active duty troops in 2006, significantly higher than the 11 suicides recorded in 2005. The suicide rate is approximately 17.3 per 100,000 troops, up from the previous average of 12.3/100,000. The United States currently has 500,000 troops in active service.

Medical records of these soldiers indicated that at least one-quarter of them had at least one psychiatric disorder, with 20 percent affected by mood disorders, or diagnoses of bipolar disorder and/or depression, anxiety, and post traumatic stress disorder. The latter is the hallmark mental health issue of the Iraq conflict.

According to Polly Coe, a local therapist and one of many providers of mental health services for the Fort Campbell area troops, prolonged deployments, “especially these second and third deployments,” contribute to “family problems” including spouse and child abuse, financial problems, sex addiction, depression, job stress, and divorce.”

Coe is concerned that this third deployment of Fort Campbell troops, who will now serve 15 months instead of twelve overseas in war zones, will result in a sharp increase of psychiatric, psychological and behavioral disorders among enlisted personnel while overseas and when they finally return home.

“They are angry, and that can fuel or be fueled by depression,” Coe said, adding soldiers often dehumanize themselves in battle zones. “It’s a coping mechanism,” she said. “They begin to not show emotion, become like robots who don’t feel anything.” It’s their way of shunting aside pain and rage. But they can’t always turn that off when they come home. They isolate, or they explode, she said.

Coe joins the ranks of other therapists in also voicing concerns about the “dumbing down” of background checks and standards of new recruits in an effort to bolster recruitment numbers, in particular the much reported disregard of some mental health and medication issues which would under other circumstances have kept some military applicants out of the service.

“It’s disastrous,” she said, adding that some of these recruits are already having mental health problems or have been taking medication for such problems. The (structure and training) of the Army will acerbate that, she said. “It’s predictable.”

Coe was pleased that the Army is stepping up and acknowledging publicly that there is an increase in suicide, and increased efforts to address the mental health needs of troops both deployed and at home bases. “It’s a start.”

Army officials admitted to a “significant” relationship between suicides and suicide attempts and the length of deployment in Iraq, Afghanistan and bases in the region where troops are involved in the war effort. The conceded that there was “limited evidence” of a correlation between multiple deployments and suicide. Although preliminary numbers for 2007 currently show a decline among armed forces as a whole, there is an increase of suicide among deployed troops. Twice as many servicewomen deployed to war zones committed suicide compared to those stateside or in non-combat areas. Firearms were the method of choice among most suicides, while those who attempted to end their lives but failed more often when attempting to overdose or cut themselves.

In the wake of both public opinion and a demonstrated need for services by troops and their families, the Army has attempted to create a larger number of programs and expand mental health services to alleviate the stress created by a seemingly endless war, a battle now entering its sixth year.

In prior interviews with Clarksville Online, Coe said that therapists across the region are having a hard time keeping up with the numbers of troops and their families who need help coping with both deployments and the return of their loved ones.

The full report on suicide in Army ranks will be released Thursday.

He was going to dedicate his life’s work to preventing hate crimes such as he had endured. However, some demons apparently still lingered on. Some pain was too great to overcome. For complete details, see the following pages:

The Dallas Morning News