Captain Jamie Brunette, US Air Force

Captain Jamie Brunette, 30, US Air Force, was found dead with a self-inflicted gunshot wound in her car on February 9, 2015 in Tampa, Florida. Tampa police found her in the parking lot of a Harbour Island cafe near her apartment slumped over in the back seat of a locked vehicle. She purchased the hand gun six months earlier. According to friends and family, Jamie didn’t speak much about her time in Afghanistan but her parents believe she may have suffered with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder after a sexual assault while deployed to Afghanistan. The issue sheds light on whether or not military members feel comfortable reporting crimes and asking for help for the aftermath. According to one MacDill Air Force Base official, they actively encourage airman to reach out for help and assured they would not lose their careers. They also reminded airman that reaching out for help early will help prevent the Post Traumatic Stress from getting worse and in the end help save their military career.

Related Links:
Lieutenant US Air Force Jamie Brunette and Sergeant US Army Thomas Penkal
Tampa reservist’s suicide brings home tragedy
Suicide of Florida soldier recently returned from Afghanistan leads to questions of whether she was sexually assaulted overseas
Family of Afghanistan Veteran: She Committed Suicide Due To Unreported Sexual Assault
Air Force captain, 30, shoots herself dead ‘after being sexually assaulted in Afghanistan’
Jamie Brunette’s Suicide: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know
Friends Grapple with Suicide of Woman, 30, Who May Have Suffered from PTSD
Family believe sexual assault led to Air Force Reserve Captain Jamie Brunette’s suicide
Sexually assaulted former Air Force captain Jamie Brunette driven to suicide, family say
Captain Jamie Brunette Suicide: Mystery Surrounds Soldier Found Dead in Car – What Happened?
#22toZero: Captain Jamie Brunette and “The Moment”
Air Force veteran’s suicide sheds light on female soldiers and PTSD