Photo by Vince Alongi.

I am a 40-year-old combat medic with the 101st Airborne Division and have served two tours of duty in Iraq. I have been at Walter Reed Army Medical Center for more than two years now, trying to recover from a spinal injury and post-traumatic stress disorder. Writing has been a wonderful outlet, one of my few outlets for easing the psychological strain of war.

Old Warriors Hope

By: HA Cummings, Veteran

When the world's last war has been fought,
and lies have been cast off and vetted,
When the oldest warriors are home,
and the youngest deaths regretted,
Humanity will heal albeit slowly,
while warriors continue to weep,
'Til tales of valor forgotten,
and fear's finally put to sleep.

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Cmdr. Janet Hawkins

As we continue to watch the number of suicides among military members increase at an unprecedented rate, we must also step up all efforts to educate and prevent future suicides. Taking care of our servicemembers calls for enhanced efforts throughout the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs, and the community. We’re all in this fight together – as we bring our servicemembers home safe, we want to keep them safe.

As the chair of the Suicide Prevention and Risk Reduction Committee (SPARRC), I am proud to have the opportunity to lead a federal and non-federal collaborative effort to examine military suicide, standardize reporting and develop future prevention initiatives with experts in the field. SPARRC includes representatives from across the armed forces and military service suicide prevention programs – Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marine Corps, Navy and National Guard. We are all learning from each other—sharing lessons learned and best practices about suicide prevention. I encourage you to check out the service-specific suicide prevention resources that are available to you.

Continue reading Cmdr. Janet Hawkins’ post on Navy Live.

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“I am an airman, sailor, soldier, Marine, Coast Guardsman. I am a mentor, comrade, friend, loved one...”

The “A Creed for a Comrade” video demonstrates that we all have an important role to play in providing support to those who need help.

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Personal and relationship issues, legal and financial worries, and job-related stress are the leading contributing factors linked to suicides. Take the opportunity this month, especially, to educate yourself and others with helpful facts surrounding suicide prevention.

Be aware of the Warning Signs for Suicide:

• Threatening or talking about wanting to hurt or kill oneself
• Looking for ways to kill oneself by seeking access to firearms, available pills or other means
• Talking or writing about death, dying or suicide when these actions are out of the ordinary for the person
• Feeling hopeless
• Feeling rage or uncontrolled anger or seeking revenge
• Acting reckless or engaging in risky activities - seemingly without thinking
• Feeling trapped - like there's no way out

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Staff Sgt. Meg Krause. Photo courtesy of Real Warriors Campaign

When I returned from Iraq, I thought the scariest moments in my life would be those I survived while deployed. Boy was I wrong. It was when I found myself face-down in a mud pit, in the middle of a pigpen in State College, Penn., running from insurgents that I thought were chasing me. This was the realization for me that I hadn’t survived.

I realized I needed help and when I reached out, it came in abundance. I was surprised to discover how supportive my Army Reserve unit was through this process. In fact, it became a bonding experience between my first sergeant and I, who said he was also seeking help. He told me it was the best decision he could have made.

Continue reading Staff Sgt. Krause’s story on DoD Live.

*Visit DCoE’s Real Warriors Campaign to view more inspiring stories of service members who sought treatment for psychological wounds and continued successful military and civilian careers.

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