Past News

Standing on a landing pad outside the 399th Combat Support Hospital here, a group of military police wait for the next patient to arrive by helicopter. It's a soldier. He's suicidal, and he's acting out. Read Story

Robert Herubin knew his friend Jonathan Schulze was on a downward spiral after a combat tour in Iraq. Depressed, drinking heavily and suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, nobody was able to reach the troubled Marine before he killed himself in January. Read Story

Anyone who has ever been touched by the specter of suicide knows that it is not a gesture that touches the victim alone. Leaders, family members and friends are often left with one question - why? - Many wonder if there was something more that could have been done.

A new national suicide hot line will allow veterans to seek help for mental-health crises 24 hours a day, seven days a week, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) said.  "This is another significant step to ensure that veterans, particularly the newest generation of combat vets returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, receive accessible and compassionate care for their mental health concerns," said Jim Nicholson, VA secretary. Read Story

The 2007 Military Suicide Prevention Conference Presentations are available online Read Story

Current Defense Department mental health efforts fall significantly short of adequately serving servicemembers and their families, and Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said fixing the program is an achievable vision. Read Story

The Senate Armed Services Committee's wounded warrior legislation orders the development and deployment of a large-scale program to de-stigmatize treatment for mental health disorders. Read Story

Soldiers returning from war are finding it more difficult to get mental health treatment because military insurance is cutting payments to therapists, on top of already low reimbursement rates and a tangle of red tape. Read Story

Suicides among troops returning from the war are a significant problem, and the scope is unknown.  This article addresses some of the issues surrounding access to help and looks at expanding the tracking methods for veterans. Read Story

On May 10, 2007, a new section of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's (SAMHSA) Web site was launched for veterans and their families.

As the war in Iraq enters its fifth year, veterans returning home need a better system of care to prevent devastating mental health problems, the parents of an Iowa veteran who committed suicide told a Senate committee Wednesday.  Army Spc. Joshua Omvig, 22, a reservist from Grundy Center, Iowa, spent an 11-month tour in Iraq, and, a few months after his return, shot himself before his mothers eyes. Read Story

Pocket Leaders Guides were shipped in Dec 2006.  For further information about the guides please refer to MARADMIN 591/06. Read Story