Austin veteran trying to curb military suicides

Local veteran helping curb military suicides
He brings firsthand experience to his mission
Published : Wednesday, 10 Apr 2013
David Scott

AUSTIN (KXAN) - Andrew O'Brien returned home in 2010 after a year of military service in Iraq. But coping on the home front wasn't easy, and he even attempted suicide.

Paramedics arrived just in time to save his life.

Now ,O'Brien has written "Welcoming Your Soldier Home," a guide for veterans and their families on how to support those at-risk, and he met with some Wednesday evening.

The Pentagon calls the suicide rate among soldiers and veterans an "epidemic." O'Brien says he is trying to educate and support the family of the returning soldier.

"That support group is always with him," he said of veterans. "I'm not teaching them to understand, I'm teaching them to support. The best way to beat this is to talk about it."
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