Disturbing Suicide Trend At Fresno National Guard Unit

Disturbing Suicide Trend At Fresno National Guard Unit
KMPH FOX 26
Posted: Oct 16, 2012
By Erik Rosales
By KMPH Web Staff
FRESNO, Calif.

Less than a month after a National Guardsman was shot and killed by Fresno police in an apparent suicide by cop, another member of the same unit has committed suicide.

It's the fifth member of that unit to take his own life in the past two years.

The soldiers belonged to the 1106th TASMG unit in Fresno, a National Guard helicopter maintenance group.

The latest solider suspected of suicide, 29-year-old Sgt. Joseph Kim.

Military officials say Kim's death is still under investigation.

Colonel Myles Williams says, "When I got the notification of the commander of the unit, I thought it was in reference of the previous one, because it's pretty unprecedented that two in one week would occur. I had to mentally adjust and say let's do our process that we have in place."

You may recall, last month 22-year-old Elias Monge walked outside a Fresno home pistol in hand, and Fresno police say wouldn't give up until they shot him, in what became an apparent suicide by cop.
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Suicide-By-Cop Death Linked To National Guard Suicides
KMPH FOX 26
Posted: Sep 25, 2012
By Ashley Ritchie
FRESNO, Calif.

"I heard about it and I don't want to go outside, I'm scared. The neighbors told me go inside. I'm just scared," Veronica Arabia said.

Veronica Arabia lives just two houses down from where 22–year–old Elias Monge walked outside last Wednesday, pistol–grip shotgun in hand, and Fresno police say, wouldn't give up until they shot him, in what became an apparent suicide–by–cop.

"Yeah it worries me," Arabia said.

Monge was a member of the 1106th AVCRAD unit in Fresno.

It's a National Guard helicopter maintenance facility.

And recently it's seen a disturbing trend.

Monge is the fourth member of that unit to allegedly commit suicide since May 2010.

"We're more shocked and concerned that so many soldiers are dying by suicide," 1st Lieutenant William Martin said. "Really one is more than we'd like to see, so three or four is definitely well more than we'd like to see at any particular unit."

464 soldiers make up the 1106th AVCRAD unit. And military officials tell KMPH News their mental health is a top priority.
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