Military Shedding Light on Suicide Problem

Military Shedding Light on Suicide Problem

Posted: May 30, 2009 12:01 AM EDT


Todd Unger

Omaha (KPTM) - When Rich Hagedorn fought in the Gulf War, "Every day you're under a lot of stress, stressful conditions, missions, always having something going on, and looking over your shoulder."

But when the army solider and his comrades came home, they found readjusting to civilian life a process.

"What they told us was to watch out for any signs, talk to your friend. Look for any signs if the person is depressed," says Hagedorn.

The readjustment to civilian life can be tough, and as an instructor at the National Guard's Camp Ashland, Hagedorn says he's been seeing firsthand the toll longer tours of duty and redeployments can have on the psyche of a soldier freshly back from the frontlines.

"We're all wearing an army uniform, and he broke down crying and instead of like the in the old days when they'd say you need to man-up, it seemed like everyone in the classroom was there and they have something in common," he says of one such breakdown.

It isn't an isolated case, and the Department of Veterans Affairs knows it.
go here for more
http://www.kptm.com/Global/story.asp?S=10448478&nav=menu606_2