Stress a Factor in Recruiter Suicides

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Stress a Factor in Recruiter Suicides
January 22, 2009
Houston Chronicle

An Army investigation into a string of suicides among recruiters based at the Houston battalion has found that poor leadership, stress, personal matters and medical problems were all factors in the deaths, the Houston Chronicle has learned.

As a result of the findings, Secretary of the Army Pete Geren ordered a rare one-day stand-down next month of all Army recruiting in order to focus on leadership training, suicide prevention and recruiter wellness.

"This is a significant action," Brig. Gen. Dell Turner, who conducted the investigation, said about the stand-down. "It's rarely implemented, and typically only after some significant event. It's a day for the unit to stop what it's doing on the mission side and review policies and practices."

Turner would not comment in detail about disciplinary actions against the chain of command at the battalion. "We're still in the period of due process here, but actions are being taken against specific leaders not just in the battalion," he said.

Turner's investigation concluded that there was no single cause for these deaths and that none of the four recruiters who committed suicide at the battalion in recent years were diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.


Rest of article at: http://www.military.com/news/article/stress-a-factor-in-recruiter-suicides.html?col=1186032310810