He put his M-4 rifle to his neck and pulled the trigger

S-T/TOM PENNINGTON
Rhonda and Charles McKinney with Jeffrey R. McKinney's medals and dog tags and the flag that covered his coffin.

Death no less a casualty, and no less a tragedy
Sergeant's suicide in Iraq brings home searing pain of war
By CHRIS VAUGHN
Star-Telegram Staff Writer

BEDFORD -- Not long ago, a World War II veteran approached Charles McKinney and asked whether he'd served in the Big Red One.

The 1st Infantry Division's famous icon, affixed to the back of McKinney's pickup, had attracted the old-timer's attention.

"No, my son did," McKinney said.

This happens regularly, one curious and innocently asked question inevitably leading to another. These conversations always end the same way, as it did that morning with the World War II veteran.

"My son didn't come back from Iraq," McKinney said.

They hugged and not many more words came out.

Rarely does McKinney share more of his family's painful saga. It's too complicated, too thorny, too emotionally risky, for a conversation at a garage sale or in a parking lot with a stranger.
On July 11, 2007, in a violent Baghdad neighborhood, Master Sgt. Jeffrey R. McKinney killed himself. He put his M-4 rifle to his neck and pulled the trigger.

There was no Purple Heart, and the Defense Department announced it as a "non-combat-related incident."

But Jeffrey McKinney, 40, a company first sergeant and a 19-year Army veteran, is no less a casualty of the war in Iraq than the thousands of young men and women who have been killed by sniper fire and roadside bombs.

Some injuries just can't be seen.

"We're proud of Jeff," his father said. "He's our hero. Jeff died for his country."
go here for more
http://www.star-telegram.com/189/story/663637.html

also

On Memorial Day: Press Coverage Probes Suicides


By Greg Mitchell

Published: May 26, 2008 11:40 AM ET

NEW YORK On Memorial Day this year, many press reports focus on the fallout from the current war, not past conflicts, as was long typical. Much in evidence, after years of being virtually ignored, is the frightful surge in suicide among Iraq vets both here and in Iraq.

Many newspapers this weekend ran overall assessments of the problem, published editorials calling for the military and the V.A. to take stronger measures to fight post- traumatic stress disorder, or recalled recent suicides in their circulation area.

One suicide just this week involved Chad Oligschlaeger, a Marine who was found at his barracks at Twenty Nine Palms in California. His family said he was on eight medications for PTSD and had been sent back to Iraq for a second tour after asking superiors for help, which he allegedly did not get.

The Fort Worth Star-Telegram today profiles the family of another suicide victim, this one in Iraq, who shot himself in front of his troops. Chris Vaughan writes: “On July 11, 2007, in a violent Baghdad neighborhood, Master Sgt. Jeffrey R. McKinney killed himself. He put his M-4 rifle to his neck and pulled the trigger.

“There was no Purple Heart, and the Defense Department announced it as a ‘non-combat-related incident.’ But Jeffrey McKinney, 40, a company first sergeant and a 19-year Army veteran, is no less a casualty of the war in Iraq than the thousands of young men and women who have been killed by sniper fire and roadside bombs.

“Some injuries just can't be seen.”

His father tells the reporter: "I don't mind telling you that I personally hold the company commander responsible. This man made a poor decision. We want to call attention to the military's responsibility and to make sure that people are aware of the signs, because Jeff gave a million signs that he needed help."

“Since the start of the Iraq war, Fort Campbell, a sprawling installation on the Kentucky-Tennessee border, has seen a spike in the number of suicides and soldiers suffering from severe post traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD. In 2007, nine soldiers from Fort Campbell committed suicide - three during the first few weeks of October, according to a letter sent to base personnel by the 101st Airborne Division's commander, Maj. Gen. Jeffrey Schloesser."According to the Army, more than 2,000 active-duty soldiers attempted suicide or suffered serious self-inflicted injuries in 2007, compared to fewer than 500 such cases in 2002, the year before the United States invaded Iraq.

A recent study by the nonprofit Rand Corp. found that 300,000 of the nearly 1.7 million soldiers who've served in Iraq or Afghanistan suffer from PTSD or a major mental illness, conditions that are worsened by lengthy deployments and, if left untreated, can lead to suicide."

*Greg Mitchell's new book includes several chapters on Iraq vet suicides. It is So Wrong for So Long: How the Press, the Pundits -- and the President -- Failed on Iraq.
go here for more
http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003808182