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June 14, 2009
Segment highlights efforts being made to combat stress, prevent Army suicides
Following up on a previous story, ABC World News (5/28, story 7, 2:40, Gibson) reported that Thursday, May 28, "was the second day of the general stand-down at Fort Campbell, KY," as "all normal duties at the base have been suspended in order to identify soldiers at risk for suicide -- a growing problem in the Army."
Reporting from Fort Carson, CO, correspondent Bob Woodruff interviewed its commanding general, Maj. Gen. Mark Graham, who lost his youngest son Kevin, "a top ROTC cadet," to suicide. The loss "left the general devastated, but now he is turning his pain into knowledge," making Fort Carson "a testing ground to find new methods to combat stress and prevent suicide."
Soldiers "who will soon deploy to Afghanistan are" now "learning what to do when adrenaline and stress spike." They will also "deploy with a psychologist and will be met in Afghanistan by mental-health specialists." When the soldiers return home, "counselors [will] teach soldiers how to deal with the mood swings so common after combat." Gen. Graham said his "goal is to have no one die by suicide."
Posted by admin at June 14, 2009 12:24 PM