Facebook groups saving lives of soldiers

Social Media Is Saving Soldiers' Lives In Ways You'd Never Expect
Business Insider
Paul Szoldra
Nov. 4, 2012

Paul Szoldra is a former U.S. Marine infantryman, and Media Relations Director for the Marine Infantry Veterans Foundation.

“TROOP IN TROUBLE” was the beginning of the status update posted last week by the military Facebook page Awesome Shit My Drill Sergeant Said. The humor-based page that originally started as a place for Drill Sergeants and soldiers to share stories had just become the last lifeline of a suicidal soldier.

Just before going to sleep around 11:30pm, Dan, a Staff Sergeant in the Army National Guard who is one of the page administrators and goes by the pseudonym “HMFIC”, decided he’d check the page activity one last time. There was a message in his inbox.

“I don’t know where else to turn,” the message read. “I’m 100% certain that my friend is planning on killing himself tonight and I cannot get a hold of him or anyone that can get to him. Can you help me?”

Dan sprung out of bed and into action, messaging the soldier and probing further. He provided screenshots of his friend’s recent Facebook posts and texts. The troubled soldier had lost his job, his girlfriend, and had financial troubles. It was serious.

For Dan, it wasn’t the first time he’d dealt with soldiers and suicide.
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