A SOLDIER'S TRAGIC TALE
A victim of the war within
Suicides of Houston Army recruiter and his wife leave questions of struggle that endured after Iraq
By LINDSAY WISE
Copyright 2008 Houston Chronicle
War's toll on soldier, family
A stressful job after a traumatic deployment
Army recruiter Nils Aron Andersson sat behind the wheel of his brand-new Ford F-150, firing round after round into the truck's CD player and radio with a .22-caliber semiautomatic pistol. Spent cartridges littered the seats and floorboards, along with a paper pharmacy bag holding a prescription for the antidepressant Lexapro.
Andersson's wife, Cassy Walton, had been trying to reach the 25-year-old sergeant on his cell phone for hours. He finally picked up about 2 a.m. and told her he wanted to kill himself.
Walton begged him to keep talking to her. Andersson told her he was on the top floor of a downtown Houston parking garage and ended the call. Then he put the pistol to his head, just above his right ear.
Minutes later, Walton raced up the stairs of the garage to find her husband of less than 24 hours slumped on the driver's side of his truck, bleeding from a single bullet wound to his right temple.
Sobbing, she unlocked the truck with her own key, climbed onto his lap, and started CPR.
"Why did you do this?" she screamed.
When Andersson killed himself on March 6, 2007, he became one of at least 16 Army recruiters to commit suicide nationwide since 2000. Five of those suicides occurred in Texas, including three at the Houston Recruiting Battalion, where Andersson worked after serving two tours of duty in Iraq.
Roughly one in five U.S. troops returning from Iraq and Afghanistan reports symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder or major depression, but only slightly more than half have sought treatment, according to a recently published Rand Corp. study. Of those who did seek care, only about half received minimally adequate treatment, the study found.
Amid increasing concerns about failure to screen, diagnose and treat soldiers with mental health problems adequately, Andersson's story raises questions about the pressures faced by the growing number of veterans who return from multiple combat deployments to high-stress recruiting assignments back home.
Leaving for Iraq
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RESOURCES FOR SOLDIERS AND THEIR FAMILIES
Warning signs:
http://mentalhealth.samhsa.gov
www.battlemind.org
Wounded Warrior Program:
https://www.aw2.army.mil/
Wounded Warrior toll-free phone number: 800-984-8523
Soldiers in crisis should talk to their chaplain, chain of command or a fellow soldier immediately. They may also call Military OneSource at 800-342-9647
National Suicide Prevention Hotline: 800-SUICIDE
VA Suicide Prevention Hotline: Veterans experiencing emotional and suicidal crisis, and their concerned family members or friends, have immediate access to emergency counseling services 24 hours a day, seven days a week by calling 800-273-TALK (8255).
SUICIDE PREVENTION TIPS FOR COMRADES
Ask your buddy: Have the courage to ask the question, but stay calm. Ask the question directly, for example, "Are you thinking of killing yourself?"
Care for your buddy: Remove any means that could be used for self-injury. Calmly control the situation; do not use force. Actively listen to produce relief.
Escort your buddy: Never leave your buddy alone. Escort to the chain of command, a chaplain, a behavioral health professional, or a primary care provider