Best Defense
Thomas E. Ricks' daily take on national security.

PTSD and suicide: A mother’s comment

Here is a note I got yesterday. I came to your blog through a post at Spencer Ackerman’s site. The posts by Mr. Gourley and Mr. Hall are too much for me to take in today, but I know I will read them again and again. You may already know all about these, but if ...

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Chris Hondros/Getty Images
Chris Hondros/Getty Images
Chris Hondros/Getty Images

Here is a note I got yesterday.

Here is a note I got yesterday.

I came to your blog through a post at Spencer Ackerman’s site.

The posts by Mr. Gourley and Mr. Hall are too much for me to take in today, but I know I will read them again and again.

You may already know all about these, but if you don’t, maybe you could put them in your wallet or pin them to your bulletin board and they’ll be there if someone who comes here ever needs them:

For free and confidential counseling for soldiers, vets and their families:
The Soldiers Project: 1-877-576-5343
www.thesoldiersproject.org

Give An Hour (Great Website. It has an easy-to-use zipcode feature that allows people to find therapists in their area.) www.Giveanhour.org

The National Veterans Foundation
1-888-777-4443

My son, Sgt. Coleman Bean, died by suicide in 2008; we’ve directed folks to all three of these services and they remain alive. And that’s good.

Linda Bean"

Tom again: Also, the Army is scheduled today to release a big study on suicide, according to Stars & Stripes.

Thomas E. Ricks covered the U.S. military from 1991 to 2008 for the Wall Street Journal and then the Washington Post. He can be reached at ricksblogcomment@gmail.com. Twitter: @tomricks1

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