Tag: Mental Health

Army SSG John Russell Sentenced to Life in Prison for the Premeditated Murders of Five Fellow Soldiers at a Mental Health Clinic in Iraq (May 16, 2013)

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SSG John Russell, U.S. Army

On May 11, 2009, SSG John Russell gunned down five of his fellow comrades at a mental health clinic at Camp Liberty in Iraq with his M-16. It was revealed that he had an argument with someone at the clinic, left, and came back with his gun. His crimes were determined to be premeditated. He was arrested and subsequently charged with murder and aggravated assault of another soldier that was seriously injured. Days before the killings witnesses noticed that he was distant and having suicidal thoughts. He was also scheduled to leave Iraq in a few days. He was tried for the murders of his fellow comrades and found guilty. He was sentenced to life in prison. But his family feels that the Army should also take responsibility for their actions. The family believes that John was broken and not treated for the injuries he sustained in combat, in the line of duty. SSG Russell was being treated for symptoms associated with Post Traumatic Stress with medications but it is believed that the psychotropics the military psychiatrists prescribed to him may have played a role in his actions. He was described as a kind, caring man up until the day he committed the unforeseen murders against his fellow soldiers.

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Honoring the Victims:

  1. Major Matthew Houseal, 54, U.S. Army
  2. Commander Keith Springle, 52, U.S. Navy
  3. Sergeant Christian Bueno-Galdos, 25, U.S. Army
  4. Specialist Jacob Barton, 20, U.S. Army
  5. Private First Class Michael Yates, 19, U.S. Army

Related Links:
DoD Identifies Navy Casualty
DoD Identifies Army Casualties
Army IDs Sgt. John M. Russell as the shooter who killed 5 fellow soldiers at Iraq base
U.S. soldier charged with murder in Iraq shooting deaths
Army Sgt. that killed 5 comrades in Iraq a Sherman native
Father: Army ‘Broke’ Soldier Held in Kilings
Did Doctors Deny Iraq Shooter’s Stress?
U.S. Soldier Charged in Baghdad Shooting Was Due to Leave Iraq Soon
Horror and stresses of Iraq duty led US sergeant to kill comrades
When PTSD Comes Marching Home
Military Mental Health Crisis Exposed With Camp Liberty Killings
Trial date set in case of officer’s murder
Wait for court-martial in fratricide case frustrates victim’s family
Army judge orders soldier who killed five in Iraq to be hypnotised
Army sergeant pleads guilty to 2009 killing of fellow soldiers
US soldier ‘coolly smoked a cigarette’ before shooting dead five of his comrades in Iraq, court hears
US soldier who shot five troops was ‘broken’ by counsellors
Judge: Soldier premeditated murder of 5 at Iraq combat stress clinic
U.S. soldier found guilty of 5 premeditated killings in Iraq
Sgt. John Russell: Wrenching testimony in penalty phase
Soldier who killed fellow U.S. troops in Iraq gets life sentence
US army sergeant jailed for life over Iraq killings
Psychiatry in the Military: The Hidden Enemy—Full Documentary
Violent Crime at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington
Army SSG John Russell Killed Five Fellow Soldiers at a Mental Health Clinic in Iraq; Found Guilty of Premeditated Murder, Sentenced to Life in Prison (May 11, 2009)

SOTT: PTSD is an epidemic for military vets and their families (2013)

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Is PTSD Contagious? -Mother Jones

“Brannan Vines has never been to war. But she’s got a warrior’s skills: hyperawareness, hypervigilance, adrenaline-sharp quick-scanning for danger, for triggers. Super stimuli-sensitive. Skills on the battlefield, crazy-person behavior in a drug store, where she was recently standing behind a sweet old lady counting out change when she suddenly became so furious her ears literally started ringing. Being too cognizant of every sound – every coin dropping an echo – she explodes inwardly, fury flash-incinerating any normal tolerance for a fellow patron with a couple of dollars in quarters and dimes. Her nose starts running she’s so pissed, and there she is standing in a CVS, snotty and deaf with rage, like some kind of maniac, because a tiny elderly woman needs an extra minute to pay for her dish soap or whatever.”

Learn more from SOTT here.

Related Links:
Is PTSD Contagious?

Mother Jones | Charts: Suicide, PTSD and the Psychological Toll on America’s Vets (2013)

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Last year more military personnel committed suicide than were killed in combat in Iraq and Afghanistan. According to the Department of Defense, 455 troops died in hostile action, and at least 468 active duty and reserve troops died in suspected suicides. It’s a growing problem the armed services have been trying to counter for years. So what does the Pentagon, families and all of us have to do, to stop it from happening? VETS Chief of Staff Amit Magdieli discusses. -RT

14 staggering stats about the invisible wounds of Iraq and Afghanistan:

Learn more from Mother Jones here.

RT: US Military suicides continue to climb, reaching record in 2012 (2013)

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In 2009 and 2010 the suicide rates among US troops continued to climb. Twenty percent of suicides in the US are by veterans which many find it are to believe. Liz Wahl takes a deeper look into why soldiers are choosing to take their own lives. -RT (2011)

“The US Military’s suicide rate grew a startling 15 percent in 2012. The Pentagon, which has put great effort into lowering military suicide rates, has acknowledged that battle casualties are no longer the primary reason for soldiers’ deaths. Modern US warfare is Internet-centric and relies heavily on drones and robots, which has helped bring combat losses to historic lows; suicide now accounts for more deaths of US soldiers than battlefield conflict.”

Read more from RT here.

Air Force Major Melissa Birtzer Found Dead at Eglin Air Force Base Range in Florida; No Foul Play Suspected (November 20, 2012)

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Melissa Birtzer
Major Melissa Birtzer, U.S. Air Force

Air Force Major Melissa Birtzer, 42, went missing from the Fort Walton Beach area in Florida on November 17, 2012. A few days later on Nov 20th, Major Birtzer was found dead at the Eglin Air Force Base range. The Air Force reported that the case was under investigation and then updated the public with the announcement that there was no foul play suspected. The official cause of death is unknown but was not ruled a homicide. Co-workers shared she may have been ‘depressed’ prior to her disappearance. Major Birtzer served honorably for 18 years first as an enlisted Intelligence Specialist and then as a Nurse. She also completed two tours in Afghanistan. Melissa is survived by a spouse and two children.

Related Links:
Melissa Birtzer Obituary
Tribute for Melissa Ann Birtzer
Missing Hurlburt Major Found Dead
Body of missing woman found; no foul play suspected
Melissa Ann Birtzer Discovered Three Days After Disappearance from Fort Walton Beach Home

Fox 31 Denver | Home from War: Soldier Suicides on the Rise (June 18, 2012)

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The U.S. military is grappling with a disturbing trend—soldiers are killing themselves at an alarming rate. So far this year, an average of one soldier a day is committing suicide. The suicide rate is outpacing the number of soldiers killed in Afghanistan this year by some 50-percent. -Fox 31 Denver

DENVER – The U.S. military is grappling with a disturbing trend—soldiers are killing themselves at an alarming rate. So far this year, an average of one soldier a day is committing suicide.

The suicide rate is outpacing the number of soldiers killed in Afghanistan this year by some 50-percent. And there have been high-profile cases here in Colorado.

It’s gotten so bad, that the defense department has even set up a suicide prevention office. Soldiers we talk to say the reasons for their life-threatening depression are many.

Read more from Fox 31 Denver here.

Related Links:
Suicide in the Military | Center for Deployment Psychology
Military Suicides: Most Attempts Come Before Soldiers Ever See Combat
DOD: Among services, Army had highest suicide rate in 2014
Experts worry high military suicide rates are ‘new normal’
New VA study finds 20 veterans commit suicide each day
America’s Soldiers and Veterans Commit Suicide at Vexingly High Rates
Shocking Military Suicide Rates And Identifying The Signs
A suicide attempt in an Army unit can lead to more, study finds
The missing context behind the widely cited statistic that there are 22 veteran suicides a day
Study reveals top reason behind soldiers’ suicides

Sixteen Afghanistan Citizens Killed in ‘The Kandahar Massacre’; Army SSG Robert Bales Pleaded Guilty to Murder to Avoid the Death Penalty, Sentenced to Life (2012)

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ht_robert_bales_nt_120319_wmain (1)
SSG Robert Bales, US Army

According to early reports by media, Afghanistan citizens reported that on March 11, 2012 multiple US military members were involved in what is now referred to as The Kandahar Massacre. This was considered the worst war crime ever committed by a US soldier since Vietnam. First the media claimed that 17 then 16 Afghanistan civilians were murdered in their homes in the middle of the night. Shortly after military authorities learned of the murders, SSG Robert Bales was swiftly flown back to the United States despite protest by Afghanistan citizens who wanted him tried in Afghanistan. They wanted him to hang. The US Army transferred SSG Bales to Fort Leavenworth two days after arriving back in the US. They eventually charged SSG Bales with the murder of 16 Afghanistan civilians and announced that they were seeking the death penalty.

Prior to the courts martial, Bales lawyer negotiated with the prosecution and asked that they take the death penalty off the table in exchange for Bales pleading guilty to the crimes. It was accepted and Bales was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Since then the media has examined the court documents and deduced that the Army missed the warning signs. Bales was on his fourth deployment when this incident occurred. There were previous concerns about his mental health but no real follow up. Others noticed that his behavior was erratic. And Afghanistan officials were concerned that the Army was not monitoring their personnel and equipment. And after examining all the media accounts, one can’t help wonder if SSG Bales was a lone gunman or a scapegoat. In response to this case, the Army announced in 2015 they came up with a new plan to help soldiers with PTSD.

Related Links:
No one asked their names
Inside The Kandahar Massacre; Grieving Survivors Describe Afghan Mass Murder
17 Afghan Civilians massacred by Staff Sgt. Robert Bales & team
Army identifies Staff Sgt. Robert Bales of Washington state as suspect in killing of 16 Afghan civilians
Afghan massacre suspect identified as Army Staff Sgt. Robert Bales
Army Staff Sgt. Robert Bales charged with murdering 17 Afghans
Bales Charged With 17 Murder Counts In Afghan Civilian Killings
Perilous web of mortgage debt ensnarled Army sergeant, wife
US Army to seek death penalty for soldier charged with Kandahar massacre
Charges against Bales challenge Army’s victim list
Army: Bales, wife laughed about killing charges
Afghan Massacre: Army Sgt. to Undergo Sanity Review
US Army seeks death penalty for Robert Bales, accused of Afghan villager massacre
Crime and Punishment, Military-Style
Robert Bales sentenced to life in prison for Afghanistan massacre
Staff Sgt. Bales Sentenced to Life in Prison for Murdering 16 Afghans Civilians
Staff Sgt. Robert Bales sentenced to life in prison without chance of parole for Afghanistan massacre that left 16 dead
US soldier sentenced to life in prison for shooting 16 Afghans
Army’s Robert Bales gets life, no parole for Afghan rampage — but was it justice?
Robert Bales Speaks: Confessions of America’s Most Notorious War Criminal
Army Staff Sergeant Robert Bales was on his fourth war zone deployment when he was accused of killing 16 Afghans
‘I was consumed by war’: New photo shows the face of US soldier moments after he ‘broke’ and massacred 16 Afghan villagers as he tells all in astonishing prison letter
Staff Sgt. Robert Bales Came to Hate ‘Everyone Who Isn’t American’
Robert Bales makes bid for mercy: ‘There isn’t a why; there is only pain’
Report sheds new light on U.S. soldier who murdered 16 Afghans
Report: Bales ‘erratic’ before 2012 shooting rampage
What It’s Like to Have an American War Criminal in Your Barracks
U.S. Army Missed Soldier’s Signs of Trouble
The Army’s New Plan To Help Soldiers With PTSD
Silent Night – Lela Ahmadzai (Documentary)

CNN – Experts: Vets’ PTSD, violence a growing problem | VA Contradicts the Theory (2012)

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Court documents show triple murder suspect, Roy Murry, an Iraq war veteran, suffered from post traumatic stress disorder, and now local veterans coping with PTSD are speaking out, wanting to clear the air that, just because you have it, it does not make you a threat to the community. -KXLY 4

“A man opens fire in a national park, killing a ranger who was attempting to stop him after he blew through a vehicle checkpoint. A second man is suspected in the stabbing deaths of four homeless men in Southern California.

Both men, U.S. military veterans, served in Iraq — and both, according to authorities and those who knew them, returned home changed men after their combat service.”

Read more from CNN here.

Army Sgt. Kimberly Agar Died by Suicide in Germany; Death Prompts Family to Raise Awareness of Active-Duty Military Suicide Rates (October 3, 2011)

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Kimberly Agar
Sgt. Kimberly Agar, U.S. Army

According to the U.S. Army Europe Public Affairs, unit officials conducted a health and welfare inspection of Sgt. Kimberly D. Agar’s barracks room after Agar missed a medical appointment. The corporal was found unresponsive and German emergency medical personnel were contacted. A German doctor pronounced Kimberly dead at the scene on October 3, 2011. An investigation into the cause of death determined Kimberly died by suicide. Kimberly’s mother has since dedicated her life to raising awareness of active-duty suicide rates in an effort to prevent suicide within the active-duty ranks.

Apologize-One Republic by Sgt. Kimberly Agar

Related Links:
Salute to SPC. Kimberly Agar
Sgt. Kimberly Diane Agar 10/3/2011
Soldier with U.S. Army Europe Band and Chorus found dead in Schwetzingen barracks
Singing soldier Sgt. Kimberly D. Agar dies in Germany at 25
A year later, Texas soldier’s suicide still haunts her mother in Bedford
A Dream Come True Ends in Suicide for Soldier
Suicide victim’s mother calls for improved mental health education
Military Suicide: Help for Families Worried About Their Service Member
Death Drives Mother to Help Others
Suicide rate for veterans far exceeds that of civilian population
Suicide Among Our Military & Veterans: Still a National Tragedy
Warrior Talk with GI Jenn – Sgt. Kimberly Agar, TBI & Suicide
Victim’s mother speaks out about military suicide
Mom’s mission is to share daughter’s story
Margaret Mary Agar vs. The Prudential Insurance Company of America (2013)
Timbaland, OneRepublic – Apologize (Official Music Video) ft. OneRepublic

Air Force A1C Kelsey Anderson Found Dead of Apparent Self-Inflicted Gunshot Wound in Hangar at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam (June 9, 2011)

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Kelsey Anderson
A1C Kelsey Anderson, US Air Force

Airman First Class Kelsey Anderson was found dead of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound at Andersen Air Force Base in Guam on June 9, 2011. According to media reports, she was found in a locked stall in a second-floor women’s bathroom inside an aircraft maintenance hangar at the base. The military investigation indicated that a few months after Kelsey arrived at Guam, she was stripped of her service revolver over mental health concerns. Although Kelsey’s weapons privileges had been restored about a month prior to her death. The reports stated that Kelsey may have been unhappy after trying and failing to be transferred from Guam or released from military service. Kelsey’s parents had to file a lawsuit in U.S. District Court to get the Air Force to turn over its investigation records. They simply wanted answers for their daughter’s tragic and unexpected, untimely death yet the Air Force concealed the details. Chris and Adelia Sue Anderson received the mostly redacted investigation reports almost two years after their daughter’s death. The final court settlement with the Air Force in September 2013 was for the cost of the attorney they had to hire in their quest to get the information they were entitled to have. It’s unfortunate that this family had to wait two years for answers and even more unfortunate that they were forced to go to court during one of the most difficult times of their life.

What could have been done to prevent this? What kind of mental health services were offered to Kelsey? Why did Kelsey want to leave Guam and/or get out of the military? Why was she upset after finding out that she was not able to transfer or get out of the military? What were the extenuating circumstances that made Kelsey feel like she had no options other then suicide? Is this a suicide? After so many families have come forward with concerns that their loved one was murdered despite a ruling of suicide, do we know for sure that this was a suicide? It happened in Guam. There is absolutely no one to hold the Air Force accountable in that setting. There is no way to ensure that the Air Force investigated the scene as both a potential homicide or suicide. It’s as simple as what the Air Force says happens is what happened. Every government entity should have a mechanism by which they are held accountable. Where does a grieving parent turn to when they do not agree with the military investigator’s or medical examiner’s findings? Who holds the individual branches or Department of Defense accountable? The only body of people that can hold the military industrial complex accountable is the US Congress and even they struggle. Time and time again we hear accounts from service members and families that contacting their congressional Representative or Senator did not help. Some help, some don’t, and some never call you back. Every level of government should have accountability of some kind because this country was founded on the principles of checks and balances in our system.

“Enlisting U.S. Sen. Jim Risch‘s office for help still didn’t yield results.” -Chris & Adelia Sue Anderson

In an interview the Andersons’ lawyer emphasized that the prolonged wait and anxiety of suing the federal government in a last-ditch effort for information intensified the couple’s pain after the loss of their daughter. He empathized as a father of three and shared that he could not imagine losing a child thousands of miles away and not knowing what happened to her. No parent should have to wait nearly two years before the government decides to produce the information they deserve to have.

The grieving parents of a 19-year-old Idaho woman who died serving her country thousands of miles from home say the U.S. Air Force won’t give them information about the circumstances of her death. -NewsMedia24

Related Links:
AAFB Mourns Loss of Airman 1st Class Kelsey Anderson
AAFB airman’s death ruled suicide
Grieving parents sue Air Force for answers in daughter’s death
Adelia Sue Anderson Parents Sues Air Force Over Death Daughter
The Long Goodbye: What happened to Kelsey Anderson?
The Long Goodbye: An Idaho Family Fights to Learn the Truth About Their Daughter’s Death
Was it murder? Mystery as Air Force claims 19 year old airwoman committed suicide in Guam base but family deny she was depressed and say they’ve been blocked from getting answers
Family finally getting answers on daughters death
AP: Documents Shed New Light on Suicide of Idaho Airman
Documents reveal mental health struggles of Airman Kelsey Anderson
Idaho airman under mental scrutiny before death
AP: Parents of Kelsey Anderson, Idaho Airman Who Died of Apparent Self-Inflicted Gunshot Wound on Guam Air Base, Settle Lawsuit with Air Force
Idaho airman’s family settles with Air Force
Air Force will Pay Idaho Parent’s Legal Fees in Suicide Case of Daughter
Adelia Sue Anderson Parents Sues Air Force Over Death Daughter