Suicide Prevention Office Sucks At Saving Lives

Active-Duty Military Suicides at Record Highs in 2018

Military.com
Patricia Kime
January 30, 2019

Editor’s Note: This story has been updated to include Army year-end totals.

The U.S. military finished 2018 with a troubling, sad statistic: It experienced the highest number of suicides among active-duty personnel in at least six years.

Lt. Cmdr. Karen Downer writes a name on a Suicide Awareness Memorial Canvas in honor of Suicide Awareness Month at Naval Hospital Jacksonville, Sept. 10, 2018. (U.S. Navy/Jacob Sippel, Naval Hospital Jacksonville).

Active duty Military members could save more with GEICO. Get a quote today! A total of 321 active-duty members took their lives during the year, including 57 Marines, 68 sailors, 58 airmen, and 138 soldiers.

The deaths equal the total number of active-duty personnel who died by suicide in 2012, the record since the services began closely tracking the issue in 2001.

Suicide continues to present a challenge to the Pentagon and the military services, which have instituted numerous programs to save lives, raise awareness and promote prevention. Marine Corps Commandant Gen. Robert Neller, in his 2019 guidance to Marines released Friday, urged them to consider the lasting impact that a "permanent solution to a temporary problem" can have.

According to Air Force officials, 58 active-duty airmen took their lives, while three Reserve members died by their own hands. The number represents a decline from previous years, down from 63 in 2015 and 2017, and 61 in 2016, but is still troubling, said Brig. Gen. Michael Martin, director of Air Force Integrated Resilience.
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Man swindled disabled veterans had to pay a buck?

Man who reportedly swindled veterans out of retirement and disability pay for 7 years fined $1

Military Times
J.D. Simkins
January 30, 2019

Bilk veterans out of disability and retirement pay for seven years? Your settlement, sir, is a McChicken sandwich.

A man accused of issuing cash-advance loans with excessively high-interest rates to veterans while disguising the transactions as interest-free sales was ordered to pay a settlement after it was determined he “caused substantial injury” by swindling veterans out of their disability and retirement pay.

Serving as a financial agent for several lending companies from 2011 to 2018, Mark Corbett would reportedly offer to send lump sum payments to veterans — some payments were in the tens of thousands of dollars — in exchange for receiving all or part of the veteran’s monthly pension or disability payments for a period of five to 10 years, according to a Jan. 23 consent order.

And what did the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau deem to be a necessary settlement for these fraudulent transactions? One dollar, which he was comically ordered to pay within 10 days via wire transfer or else suffer the accrual of interest on said dollar.
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"It doesn't go away at the end of the shift."

'I remember every tragic thing I've seen' - Local firefighters open up about mental health

News Channel 9
Kayla Strayer
January 30, 2019

"The worst things that I've personally seen are burn injuries to children," Hyman said. "Trauma to children, those are some of the worst ones."

The Chattanooga Fire Department launched a peer support program in an effort to help firefighters deal with the mental stress of their jobs. (Image: Jim Lewis)

It doesn't go away at the end of the shift. 

"I remember every tragic thing I've seen, especially kids," Lewis said.

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn.
Suicides among first responders are on the rise, says Chattanooga Fire Chief Phil Hyman.

"Our firefighter suicides throughout the nation have actually exceeded the line of duty deaths that we have," Chief Hyman said. "In 2017 we had 103 firefighter suicides, and only 93 line of duty deaths."

First responders deal with death and destruction, sometimes on a daily basis.

"We expose our members to a lot of bad stuff that's the nature of our job," Hyman said. "Most of the stuff you see you can't unsee."

Dallas Bay Volunteer Firefighter and Chaplain Jim Lewis says, "It's a slideshow in your head."

A sickening slideshow of tragic images.
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VA decided to link up with two other groups

VA announces broad suicide prevention partnership and safe firearm storage partnership

WASHINGTON — Today the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced that it has recently formalized two partnerships aimed at preventing Veteran suicide.

Effective January, the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) began collaborating with VA to advance and improve the quality of life for Veterans to prevent suicides. Through this partnership, VA and AFSP have been exchanging research on suicide and prevention efforts. AFSP has also begun sharing VA suicide-prevention messaging.

Effective last November, the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) began working with VA to develop a program that will empower communities to engage in safe firearm-storage practices. The program will include information to help communities create coalitions around promoting and sustaining firearm safety with an emphasis on service members, Veterans and their families.

“We want all Americans to know that suicide is preventable.” said VA Secretary Robert Wilkie. “By working with local organizations and community partners, we’re confident that we can make a meaningful difference to reduce suicide among Veterans.”

These innovative partnerships highlight the shared mission between the VA, nonprofit organizations and local communities to end suicide among those who have served or are currently serving.

Research shows there is no single cause for suicide: It is the outcome of multiple contributing factors and events. However, environmental factors, such as access to lethal means, increase the risk for suicide. Firearms are one of the most deadly and common methods for suicide among Americans — particularly for service members and Veterans.

Veterans in crisis or having thoughts of suicide, and those who know a Veteran in crisis, can call the Veterans Crisis Line for confidential support 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. Call 800-273-8255 and press 1, chat online at VeteransCrisisLine.net/Chat, or text to 838255.

Reporters covering Veteran mental health issues can visit ReportingOnSuicide.org for important guidance

**Is this where the unspent money went from last year?**

Blue Water Veteran Wins in Court

Court decides 'Blue Water' Navy veterans should be eligible for Agent Orange benefit

Stars and Stripes
Nikki Wentling
January 29, 2019

WASHINGTON — A federal court ruled Tuesday that Vietnam veterans who served on ships offshore during the war are eligible for benefits to treat illnesses linked to exposure to the chemical herbicide Agent Orange – a decision that has the potential to extend help to thousands of veterans.

The Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit ruled 9-2 in favor of Alfred Procopio, Jr., 73, who served on the USS Intrepid during the Vietnam War. Procopio is one of tens of thousands of “Blue Water” Navy veterans who served aboard aircraft carriers, destroyers and other ships and were deemed ineligible for the same disability benefits as those veterans who served on the ground and inland waterways.

The decision comes one decade after the Department of Veterans Affairs denied Procopio’s disability claims for diabetes and prostate cancer. The court’s ruling reverses a previous decision from the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, which upheld the denial because Procopio couldn’t show direct exposure to Agent Orange.

“Mr. Procopio is entitled to a presumption of service connection for his prostate cancer and diabetes mellitus,” the decision issued Tuesday states. “Accordingly, we reverse.”

Judge Kimberly A. Moore, who wrote on behalf of the majority, added: “We find no merit in the government’s arguments to the contrary.”
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Last ride for Rolling Thunder?

Rolling Thunder: Lack of money to silence POW/MIA support run

Smyrna-Clayton Sun Times
Jeff Brown
January 30, 2019

For the past 30 years, Rolling Thunder has sponsored a ride to Washington, D.C. to remind the public about POWs and MIAs. This year will be its last.

The rumble of motorcycles rolling across the nation’s capital in memory of America’s missing service members and prisoners of war is on the road to becoming a thing of the past.

The yearly event, sponsored by the New Jersey-based Rolling Thunder, Inc., will end with its 32nd ride in May 2019, Executive Director Artie Muller and President Joe Bean announced in December.

Since 1988, Rolling Thunder’s annual First Amendment Demonstration Ride has seen hundreds of thousands of bikers and supporters converge on Washington, D.C., in support of the MIA/POW cause. The first event attracted about 2,000 bikers; more than a half-million turned out for the 2018 event.

Delawareans who ride in support of Rolling Thunder were shocked to learn the news.

Bikers coming in from across the country traditionally assemble in parking lots around the Pentagon, where Rolling Thunder would sell products such as pins, patches, and flags to raise additional money.

A particular point of contention, according to Muller, was a growing lack of cooperation with security forces at the Pentagon who he accused of diverting the bikers and not allowing them to enter the parking lots, which also prevented participants from buying Rolling Thunder products.

Department of Defense spokeswoman Susan L. Gough has denied those charges, saying the DoD is focused on supporting Rolling Thunder’s right to protest while at the same time ensuring the safety and security of both the bikers and the Pentagon complex itself.
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PTSD FOR THE FNGs

PTSD is an old wound and so are most of our veterans

Combat PTSD Wounded Times
Kathie Costos
January 30, 2019



If you do not know what FNG stands for, look it up. I'll wait...now you know.

This morning driving to work, I had my usual radio station on. WMMO plays music from the 70's. Considering that is my generation, the listeners are far from FNGs. 

As usual, I had to hear the nauseating commercial for the famous, or as our generation refers to it as, infamous veterans charity. Normally I have a spontaneous zap on the channel switch, but this morning I found myself yelling at the radio instead of saving myself the grief of listening to the damn thing!

It was like getting slapped in the head over and over again! By the time I heard their registered slogan at the end, I was pretty much out of my mind.

Wounded Warrior Project - The greatest casualty is being forgotten.® ... the Advance Guard monthly giving program for $19 a month and receive a WWP blanket.

Yes, they actually registered that slogan! The thing is, the commercial plays on a station for older people, including a lot of older veterans.

Why is this such a torn in my side? This group does absolutely nothing for the generation they avoid mentioning! They are only interested in OEF and OIF veterans. YEP! They consistently leave that part out.

No one is saying that the new generation does not deserve help. No one is saying there is anything wrong with so many charities focusing on their needs. What is wrong IS WHEN THEY DO NOT MENTION THAT FACT TO THE PUBLIC especially when they are asking for the pubic to donate to them.

Sure, they run down a list of what PTSD was called before, but fail to even begin to acknowledge how most of the veterans in this country are not OEF or OIF. THEY ARE OLDER! They waited longer, fought harder and made sure that the government accepted their disabilities as a price of sending them into combat.

We know all that! The problem is, the majority of the people in this country have no clue.

The commercial says that PTSD effects one out of five Iraq and Afghanistan veterans right after it lists the other terms given to the wound that has stricken veterans since the beginning of war itself. So the "today" it is called, is BS. Oh, by the way, it hit one out of three Vietnam veterans.

It claims that "today" it is called Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Too bad the commercial itself shows how they forgot a lot of veterans, especially the ones who have to endure that BS FUBAR crap coming over their favorite radio station.

PTSD is called that because Vietnam veterans came home and fought for it to be recognized as a war wound, and they fought for all generations. They wanted to make sure that no generation left another behind. 

Since the known number of veterans committing suicide are in fact mostly over the age of 50, you'd think that should matter, but it doesn't to any of the new groups popping up pretending that no one was doing anything before they came along.

While Vietnam veterans used their strength in numbers for the greater good, the FNGs use their stupefied social media skills for the mighty buck.

Considering that according to all the known data on PTSD and suicide, we had much better results before this wound was turned into a billion dollar industry, we're screaming BOHICA incoming FNGs mucking up everything we achieved.

In Vietnam, they went into units as strangers, one at a time. The FNG was someone to stay away from until they proved themselves to the rest of the unit. So when do we actually see proof from this group, or any of the other groups that popped up? 

When does this group mention the fact that a huge chunk of the money that is donated to them actually ends up being given to colleges as grants, instead of to the veterans that need services?

Emory Healthcare was one of the recipients, among many more.

The Emory Healthcare Veterans Program has received a five-year, $29.2 million-dollar grant from Wounded Warrior Project to further its work providing transformative care for Veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), traumatic brain injury (TBI),dd depression and anxiety.The Emory Healthcare Veterans Program is one of four U.S. programs that are part of Wounded Warrior Project’s Warrior Care Network, a first-of-its-kind treatment partnership that provides world class mental health care to Veterans or servicemembers who served/deployed after 9/11.

Oh, sorry, guess they just forgot to leave that part out too. 

They did do something good up in Boston with the Red Sox Home Base and Mass General Hospital.

Home Base, a partnership between the Red Sox Foundation and Massachusetts General Hospital, has announced a $65 million grant from the Wounded Warrior Project in support of mental health care for military veterans and their family members.The commitment — $3 million for a capital campaign to establish a National Center of Excellence in the Charlestown Navy Yard and $62 million to Mass General to expand its clinical services — will fund Home Base's continued participation in the Warrior Care Network, which connects wounded veterans and their families to high-quality individualized mental health care. 

Don't get me wrong here. They do some good butwhy is that commercial playing on our age group station? Because they hope that no one notices what they do not say and twist things up to the point that we forget that we have been forgotten...or not even worth mentioning?

Houston Police Officer recovering after third time being shot on the job

Houston police officer rushed into gunbattle "because I knew my guys were down"

CBS News
Alex Sundby
January 29, 2019

The police department said in a statement later Tuesday that the 54-year-old officer was shot in the neck and listed in serious but stable condition. At the press conference, Acevedo described the officer as a "big teddy bear" who was also shot in the line of duty in 1992 and 1997.

A veteran Houston police officer who was shot after rushing into a gunbattle at a suspected drug house to help two of his wounded colleagues said he had to do it "because I knew my guys were down," the city's police chief said Tuesday. The officer, who has been on the police force for 32 years, was shot for the third time in his career Monday, Chief Art Acevedo said at a press conference.

"'I had to get in there because I knew my guys were down,'" Acevedo said the officer, 54, wrote in a note. "That just speaks volumes as to this man and just his courage under fire."

Four officers in total were shot Monday, and a fifth suffered a knee injury in the gunbattle, which stemmed from an attempt to serve a search warrant. Acevedo didn't identify the officers because they all work undercover in narcotics.
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Boots on Ground Founder indicted for embezzlement

Founder of veteran's non-profit arraigned on embezzlement charges

January 29, 2019

According to a federal indictment, Azevedo-Laboda used funds donated to Boots on Ground for personal bills made out to several companies, including Time Warner, First Energy, and National Fuel.

The founder of an Erie non-profit appears in federal court this morning.

Over the years, the Erie Community has gotten to know Venus Azevedo-Laboda for her work with veterans, but today, several of those veterans showed up to the hearing, many saying they're not surprised by the charges.

Azevedo-Laboda is accused of embezzling more than $7,000 from the non-profit she created, Boots on Ground.

The organization provides services to veterans transitioning back into civilian life and recovering from numerous disorders including post-traumatic stress.
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Researcher "listening to the dead" to prevent more suicides

'Like hearing their voices': Researcher analyzes suicide notes to save lives

CTV News
Daniel Otis, CTVNews.ca Writer
Avis Favaro, Medical Specialist, CTV National News
Elizabeth St. Philip, CTV News
Published Sunday, January 27, 2019

The search for clues about why people choose to die by suicide often starts with the words they leave behind. Dr. Rahel Eynan, a scientist with the Lawson Health Research Institute in London, Ont., is unravelling such mysteries one heart-wrenching note at a time.

“When I’ll open a file, in my head I’ll say, ‘Tell me your story,’” she told CTV News. “Sometimes you actually can feel the pain of the individual that wrote them.”

In a 2018 study published by The American Association of Suicidology, Eynan analyzed 383 suicide notes left by children as young as 11 and adults as old as 98 to find signs that can be used to identify and help others who are at risk.

“About 57 per cent expressed love for others,” she explained. “Very few expressed that they felt loved… About 53 per cent expressed ‘sorry’ and apologies.”

Half, Eynan also found, were escaping illness, physical or psychological pain.

“They are so constricted in their thinking that they don’t see any other option -- the only option is to die,” she said.
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