Home from War, Reservists Struggle to Find Support

Home from War, Reservists Struggle to Find Support
WNYC News
Friday, July 13, 2012
By Abbie Fentress Swanson : Culture Editor & Interactive Content Producer

Listen to WNYC host Soterios Johnson talk with David Segal, who teaches Sociology at the University of Maryland, about the particular challenges facing members of the National Guard and Reserves.

Amid the spa, cocktail bar and other trappings of The Heldrich Hotel, a luxury hotel in New Brunswick, NJ, are eight couples who have signed up for a weekend retreat – who are trying to get quality time without the kids. But it’s not all relaxing, these couples are here to work on their marriages, and they’re being led by Staff Sergeant Anthony Mauro in a Strong Bonds for Couples training for New Jersey Army National Guard members and their spouses.

In an afternoon session, Staff Sergeant Mauro asks the couples to split up by gender and make ‘Top 10’ lists of what they think their spouses need in a relationship.

The women go first.

“Of course at the top of the list we put that men want sex from their wives,” the spokeswoman for the group said. “Followed by food and/or a personal chef.”

She says men also want submissive women. They don’t want to be nagged but they do want a “man cave,” an ego boost and a stylist.

The men go next.

“Romance, money, security, communication, honesty, empathy, love and affection … quality time and a lot of chocolate,” one of the husbands reads from the list.

Actually, says Staff Sergeant Mauro, studies show love is what most women want in relationships and respect is what men are looking for.

Due to the nature of the National Guard and the Reserves, it’s not always easy to get help before or after deployments. Unlike active duty servicemembers, National Guard members and reservists train near their hometowns one weekend a month and two weeks each summer with the expectation that they’ll help out with disaster response. Many who joined prior to 9/11 never imagined they would do two, three or four combat tours in Iraq or Afghanistan.
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Honorable Service, Dishonorable Treatment

A Marine's Struggle: Honorable Service, Dishonorable Treatment
By KARIN MARINARO
COMMENTARY
The Hartford Courant
July 13, 2012


To lose a child is one of the worst tragedies in life. I have almost lost my son, Marine 1st Lt. Robert Marinaro, 26, twice — once in Afghanistan and once here — by suicide.

My son was raised with strong morals. Upon graduation from high school, Rob received scholarships to college and was nominated to attend theU.S. Naval Academy. Although an issue with his eyes medically disqualified him from the academy, he received a Navy ROTC scholarship to Carnegie Mellon University and excelled. Rob was commissioned at the top in his ROTC class, received honors from Carnegie Mellon in 2008 and graduated with distinction from the Marine Corps' Basic and Intelligence schools.

In 2010, Rob deployed to Afghanistan where he collected intelligence from Afghans. In one particular situation, Rob was in a firefight with enemy forces when one of his Marines was lost, dying in my son's arms.

"Please don't die!" the Navy corpsman said to the mortally wounded lance corporal.

Every day since, my son deals with that memory.

With his tour complete in September 2010, Rob returned to Camp Pendleton in California. Soon thereafter, Rob began to struggle.

I watched my beautiful, bright, loving son, wrestle with his mental demons and implored him to get help. Unfortunately, as a military officer, he faced an even greater stigma for those seeking psychiatric help than that experienced by younger Marines or junior leaders. The tough culture of the Marine Corps is harsh on those who seek help.

Nevertheless, I told him that a true leader recognizes his own weaknesses and seeks help.

Sadly, Rob did not receive the help he needed until it was too late.
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Army suicides, same report, two different headlines

The Army released one report for June on soldiers committing suicide. The news however ended up producing two different headline.

This is from Army Times

Active-duty suicide numbers decline in June
Staff report
Posted : Friday Jul 13, 2012 16:32:28 EDT

As many as 11 active-duty soldiers are believed to have committed suicide in June, five fewer than in the previous month, the Army announced Friday.

Of those, one has been confirmed as suicide and the other 10 are still under investigation. Among the 11 soldiers who died, two were women.

So far this year, 89 active-duty soldiers are believed to have killed themselves.

Also in June, 12 reserve component soldiers who were not on active duty are believed to have committed suicide. Ten of the soldiers were in the Army National Guard; two were in the Army Reserve.

All 12 deaths remain under investigation.
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This is from Stars and Stripes

Army reports 23 suicides in June
By CHRIS CARROLL
Published: July 13, 2012

WASHINGTON—Twenty-three soldiers are believed to have committed suicide in June, slightly fewer than in May, the Army reported Friday.

There were 11 likely suicides among active duty troops last month, while for reserve troops not on active duty, 12 suicides were reported. In May, 16 active-duty and nine reserve soldiers are thought to have killed themselves.

There have been 147 reported Army suicide cases through June. In 2011, 283 soldiers committed suicide.
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Former Navy Doctor Looks At PTSD From Within

Former Navy Doctor Looks At PTSD From Within
July 14, 2012
By John Ostapkovich

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - Post-traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD, is the hell of war that follows you home and a former Navy doctor’s book looks at the ailment, from the inside.

Dr. John Parrish can give you a medical description of PTSD.

“It’s a rewiring of parts of the brain that learn to process dangerous conditions and the person thinks, inappropriately, that they’re in a dangerous position either all the time or after certain triggers,” says Dr. Parrish.

But Dr. Parrish, author of Autopsy of War, knows from personal experience how it nearly destroyed his life, until he admitted he had a problem and got treatment.
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Marine's death under investigation

MCAS investigating Marine's death
July 13, 2012
Yuma Sun
BY JAMES GILBERT

Officials at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma are investigating the death of a Marine from New Jersey who was found dead inside a barracks room Sunday morning.

The Marine, 24-year-old Richard Cummings Jr., was a member of Marine Tactical Air Command Squadron 48 and was based at Great Lakes Naval Base in Illinois.
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