Fort Meade explores causes, prevention of suicide

Fort Meade explores causes, prevention of suicide
Posted: Sunday, September 16, 2012
Capital Gazette.com
By ALLISON BOURG Staff Writer

The first suicide was jarring enough.

But when the number of self-inflicted deaths among Fort George G. Meade military personnel climbed to three, then six, officials knew there was a problem.

“We need to find some solutions,” Chad T. Jones, spokesman for Fort Meade, said last week.

So the base’s garrison commander, Col. Edward C. Rothstein, pushed forward plans to open a center for troubled military members and emphasize the array of social programs available to those in need.

But what base officials still can’t pinpoint is a common factor in the deaths, which came as the Army reported a record number of suicides this summer.

“It would be very unfair for me to say it’s one thing or another,” Rothstein said. He and other Fort Meade officials know this much: All those involved were under 30 years old, and most were under 25. Each was dealing with relationship struggles, financial problems, or both.

But the similarities end there.

Rothstein said one woman and five men committed suicide, and they spanned all branches of the military. Two were in the Army, two were Marines, one was in the Air Force and one was in the Navy.
read more here