Suicide: The Real Threat to U.S. Veterans
United States Army Colonel Andrew T. Poznick commissioned as an infantry officer in 1993. That same year he married his best friend Trish and embarked on a long and distinguished career. Andrew and Trish had two children John and Emma. They led the typical military lifestyle following orders to multiple duty stations throughout the United States. Military orders also led Colonel Poznick to two tours in Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. In 2011, the colonel commanded the last unit in Iraq where he earned the bronze star medal (Andrew, 2016). His most recent achievement was his acceptance as a member of the faculty at the Army War College; a school that focuses on military strategy at Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania. From the outside, everything seemed to be going well with Andrew and his family. However, on March 20, 2016 Andrew Poznick lost his battle with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and took his own life (Brooks, 2016). With suicide rates climbing …show more content…
Posttraumatic stress, depression disorder and substance abuse are all contributing to suicidal behavior among veterans. The DOD must focus on improved suicide awareness training to help destigmatize those who seek psychiatric assistance for mental illness. The implementation of licensed counselors at lower military departments, mandatory psychiatric treatment for veterans exposed to combat and assigned roles and responsibilities for junior to mid-grade leaders are all measures that will assist with reaching out to individuals with PTSD. Military leadership must focus on the individual, not the institution in order to reduce combat veteran suicide. Without gaining a better understanding of how to identify and treat United States service members suffering from PTSD, we will continue to lose great Americans like Colonel Andrew T. Poznick to
United States Army Colonel Andrew T. Poznick commissioned as an infantry officer in 1993. That same year he married his best friend Trish and embarked on a long and distinguished career. Andrew and Trish had two children John and Emma. They led the typical military lifestyle following orders to multiple duty stations throughout the United States. Military orders also led Colonel Poznick to two tours in Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. In 2011, the colonel commanded the last unit in Iraq where he earned the bronze star medal (Andrew, 2016). His most recent achievement was his acceptance as a member of the faculty at the Army War College; a school that focuses on military strategy at Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania. From the outside, everything seemed to be going well with Andrew and his family. However, on March 20, 2016 Andrew Poznick lost his battle with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and took his own life (Brooks, 2016). With suicide rates climbing …show more content…
Posttraumatic stress, depression disorder and substance abuse are all contributing to suicidal behavior among veterans. The DOD must focus on improved suicide awareness training to help destigmatize those who seek psychiatric assistance for mental illness. The implementation of licensed counselors at lower military departments, mandatory psychiatric treatment for veterans exposed to combat and assigned roles and responsibilities for junior to mid-grade leaders are all measures that will assist with reaching out to individuals with PTSD. Military leadership must focus on the individual, not the institution in order to reduce combat veteran suicide. Without gaining a better understanding of how to identify and treat United States service members suffering from PTSD, we will continue to lose great Americans like Colonel Andrew T. Poznick to