Military Mental Health

Marksmanship, NoKo Style

A South Korean newspaper reports Thursday that the Pyongyang government executed several North Korean senior officers by firing squad earlier this year for “drinking liquor during the mourning period [following the death of leader Kim Jong-il] or being involved in sex scandals.”

Note that “or.” Apparently, alcohol and adultery …

My Kayak

As I type this I am sitting in the San Diego airport preparing to head home to Dallas. The TAPS weekend seminar is over and I am filled with a powerful sense of faith.

I am not sure what I was hoping to get from this weekend, …

Reconnecting…with Myself

One of the things I heard early on at TAPS, as well as from my counselor at home, is the importance of self-care.

I’m a mother of three young children. Whenever this term “self-care” is thrown around in my presence I …

“I Refuse to Give Up”

Today, I am tired of suicide.

I ache in my bones and muscles and soul for all the suffering that continues to occur.

I am tired of learning about people who reached out for help, sometimes screaming for help, and they were …

Through a Child’s Eyes

Shannon, Tim and John.

These names, prior to our trip to the TAPS National Military Survivors Seminar in Washington, D.C., in May were not names I heard spoken in our home. Now, they receive nearly daily mentions and are …

My New Family…

Thursday morning I bounced out of bed early and yelled “Oh my gosh!”

I never get up on time and certainly never bounce. But this morning I knew that I would be headed to California for the TAPS seminar.

I went to work — my …

No Longer Alone…

As I lay out the clothes and review the checklist for our trip Friday, I can’t help but reflect on what TAPS — Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors — means to me and my children.

Not everyone finds TAPS right …

The Survivors Gather

This weekend, relatives of many of the U.S. troops who have killed themselves in the suicide epidemic gripping the American military are gathering in San Diego. They’re coming together to support one another and figure out how to move on with life. It’s the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors’ National Military Suicide Survivor

A Visit With General Dana Pittard

I just returned home from my third trip to Fort Bliss in two months. I made the first two trips so that I could learn about the installation and the leadership’s approach to preventing soldier suicide. On this most recent visit …

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