News From the Cause
Marine Corps Steps Up Suicide Prevention Efforts to Halt Deadly Trend: (FOX NEWS)
March 31, 2011
The note begins, “Grandpa, I just wanted to give you my thanks for being a great influence in my life.”
Former Marine Sgt. Dana O’Brien can barely make it through the first line before tears begin streaming down his face. It was sent from his grandson, Marine Cpl. Daniel O’Brien during one of his two tours of duty in Iraq.
On the surface, Cpl. O’Brien appeared to have a lot to live for. He was a good Marine with a promising career ahead of him. And he had a beautiful baby girl, Alexis, who, it is clear from the photographs of the two, really seemed to love her daddy.
But on the inside, O’Brien was tormented. His wife, also a Marine had recently left him. And after an altercation on base at the Marine Air Station in Beaufort, S.C., he thought his career was over. In July 2009, he took his own life.
O'Brien's death was part of an alarming trend: Fifty-two Marines committed suicide that year, a record high, and the military is still struggling to deal with an elevated suicide rate among those who serve.
On July 6, 2009, O’Brien took an electrical cord out to a shed behind his barracks and hanged himself. His fellow Marines found him still alive and rushed him to the MUSC hospital in South Carolina. O’Brien died a few days later.
“I don’t think I’ll ever be the same again,” his grandfather said. “There’s a knot right here in my gut, and it’s probably going to stay there.”
In response to the rising number of suicides, the Marines launched an aggressive program to combat the problem. Now, every Marine, from enlisted personnel to command staff, receives training in suicide prevention.
“Leadership is letting folks know that it is not a sign of weakness if you ask for help,” says Navy Lt. Commander Andrew Martin, the psychologist in charge of the program.
The Marines have adopted the attitude that to be an effective warrior mental fitness is as important as physical fitness, as Fox News found while attending a suicide prevention seminar at the famous Parris Island boot camp.
The company commander, Capt. Richard Fohn began by asking the recruits how many of them know someone who has committed suicide. Remarkably, more than half the class raised their hands.
