Army officer shares lessons after friend's suicide

Army officer shares lessons after friend's suicide
U.S. Army Garrison
Fort Lee
Story by Stephen Baker
9/13/12

The U.S. Army is observing September 2012 as Suicide Prevention Month, focusing efforts on total Army family well being, resilience, stigma reduction and positive results achieved by getting involved and reaching out for help. The theme for the month is "Shoulder to Shoulder, We Stand Up for Life." In this photo, soldiers from Fort Lee, Va., demonstrate their commitment to the Army's suicide prevention efforts.

FORT LEE, Va. - A junior Army officer from Fort Lee, Va., shares how the loss of a close friend to suicide opened her eyes to how active leadership and genuinely caring for fellow troops can help prevent suicide in the military.

U.S. Army 2nd Lt. Noelle Edinger was home on leave in Wyomissing, Pa., in late April when a close friend of hers committed suicide – an act that ended his life and changed hers.

“You hear about it all the time, but when it’s close to home and somebody you actually know, the first thing you think is ‘How could you?’ … they were supposed to be the first person you would call when you needed help; and then you realize that you never knew they were hurting that bad,” said Edinger, an adjutant officer with the 530th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion at Fort Lee.

Edinger last saw her friend two months before his suicide. She said its impact on her included an increased awareness of her surroundings when she returned to work.

“He was my buddy … I didn’t think the stuff he was going through was anywhere near as hard as what some of my soldiers experience [during long training missions and deployments],” she said. “It made me more aware of the soldiers around me and what they might be going through. And it made me realize that not every soldier – not every person – handles stress and depression the same way. Not every soldier shows it. And [the suicide] really taught me that just because they’re not showing it doesn’t mean they’re not having a bad day, or it doesn’t mean that they’re not having something going on at home.”
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