Minn. head says Guard singled out over suicides

Minn. head says Guard singled out over suicides

Dec 19, 2011 6:00pm

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — The Minnesota National Guard has attracted "unsubstantiated notoriety" for the number of military suicides, the state adjutant general told a joint legislative hearing Monday while urging funding for suicide prevention programs.

Maj. Gen. Rick Nash told lawmakers that suicide is increasing among the entire population, not just the military, Minnesota Public Radio News reported. He noted that since 2007, 24 members of the Minnesota National guard have died by suicide, though two-thirds of them had never deployed.

"That's an important detail because it's a common assumption that suicides are the result of post-traumatic stress disorder. This is not true," Nash said.

The two dozen suicides are more than any other state, but Nash said only two of the deaths occurred among active duty soldiers.

"On the two days per month that the part-time force assembles, I can say with certainty, a soldier or airman at risk of suicide is actively engaged by his or her battle buddy or wingman. Our team is trained and ready to link that service member with the resources he or she needs," Nash said.

So far in 2011, 34 National Guard soldiers have taken advantage of a program to intervene with soldiers who may be at risk of suicide, Nash said. He was briefly overcome when he spoke of one soldier who came forward "after spending the previous evening with a shotgun on his lap."

Nash said suicide is a statewide problem, and he urged lawmakers to fund suicide prevention efforts. But he also said the Minnesota Legislature should be looking at ways to eliminate some of the contributing factors. He noted high unemployment among veterans, and noted that 18 percent of the women in the Minnesota National Guard are unemployed.
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Minn. lawmakers to address military suicides
Dec 18, 2011

Written by
Jay Olstad

MINNEAPOLIS - The war in Iraq may have officially ended, but for so many veterans coming home, the battle within is just beginning.

"It just makes sick to my stomach and anxious," said Greg Roberts, an Iraq War veteran.

Talking about his time in Iraq is difficult for Roberts. The 34-year old, who also served in Bosnia, was in Iraq for more than a year with the National Guard's 2nd Battalion, 136th Infantry.

He and his fellow soldiers were responsible for driving through uncharted roadways, clearing any roadside bombs for other military units.

"(We're) driving, hoping you're not going to have something come through your door and take your legs off," he said.

The constant danger took its toll. He admits to drinking too much and suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder when he arrived home, something many combat veterans go through.

"And all of sudden I'm realizing I'm a very angry person. And I don't know why. I'm completely different, everyone else is the same, but I'm completely different," he said.

With the help of his wife and family, he's been able to move forward. But not everyone in his unit was so lucky.
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