Father Blames Military for Son's Suicide (I blame Lariam &/or SSRI's)

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Iraq

Father Blames Military for Son's Suicide

Day to Day, January 8, 2008 ·

When Scheuerman found out his son had died in Iraq, he says, he knew

something was amiss.

" I believe we found out on Aug. 1, which is the worst day of my life, " he says.

" I was coming home from dinner and a minivan pulled up to the house and from the

minivan came an officer and a chaplain and I knew, right then, why they were

there. I knew that my son was dead. "

Scheuerman is no stranger to military operations. He's a retired master sergeant

and trains soldiers at Fort Bragg in North Carolina.

" Eventually, that evening, they said it was from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

At that point I asked them, 'How could that be?' " Scheuerman says.

Because the Army was reluctant to provide details, it would take Scheuerman the

good part of two years to answer that question. Only after filing numerous

Freedom of Information Act requests and appealing to a local member of Congress

for help, was he able to fit the puzzle pieces together, he says.

The resulting image would haunt him and leave him revving to change the

military's mental health system.

Putting the Pieces Together

Scheuerman says he wondered, every day, what documents would arrive in the

mailbox and what they would say about the days and hours leading up to his son's

death.

His son, Pvt. 1st Class Scheuerman, had deployed to Iraq with the 3rd

Infantry Division in January 2005. He died six months later.

The documents revealed a troubled soldier kept in Iraq despite repeated signs he

was going to kill himself.

" They told us there was no suicide note and that they really didn't know what

happened, " Scheuerman says slowly, his words threatening to give way to

tears. " Months later I received one of my FOIA requests in the mail, and inside

the report that I received was 's suicide note. It broke my heart because

it was obvious that my son was ill and that he needed help. "

Scheuerman knew that his son was having trouble coping with combat. In March

2005, while , 19, was on leave, he told his father he was scared.

The elder Scheuerman told him this was natural, and before leaving him at the

airport for his return to Iraq, he reminded his son to seek help if he was

feeling depressed.

A month later — after putting a rifle in his mouth, but not pulling the trigger

— visited an Army chaplain. A few weeks after that, was evaluated by

an Army psychologist.

" He told me that the psychologist had given him a standardized test and talked

to him for about 10 minutes — and after that evaluation he sent a note back to

command stating that was capable of feigning his illness in order to

manipulate his command, " he says.

He suspected that this assessment would bring hardship on his son, but just how

much became clear only later, once he had read the documents about his son's

death.

" This unit had seen with a muzzle of his weapon in his mouth and did

nothing. This is a unit in which a chaplain writes he believes my son to be

possessed by demons and obsessed with suicide and did nothing, " he says.

The Day of the Suicide

On the day of 's death, he was issued an Article 15, a form of nonjudicial

punishment.

" They gave him that for being out of uniform. During those proceedings, his

first sergeant told him that if he was faking his illness he would go to jail

and become someone's 'butt buddy,' " Scheuerman says.

refers to this directly in his suicide note, writing (including

misspellings):

" This I leave as my last message to those who I leave behind. I know you think

Im a coward for this but in the face of existing as I am now I have no other

choice. As the 1st Sgt said all I have to look forward to is a butt-buddy in

jail, not much of a future. "

Later that day, took his life.

" The day he killed himself he was an absolute suicidal time bomb. What did they

think was going to happen when they sent this soldier to his room by himself

with his weapon? " Scheuerman says.

" The worst thing about this whole situation is that I know in my heart he

shouldn't be dead. It's horrible that we lose the soldiers that we have to. It's

a tragedy when we lose a soldier that we shouldn't have, " he says.

Improving the System

was one of 87 soldiers who committed suicide in 2005. Since then, the

Army's suicide rate has increased each year. The military could decrease this

number, Scheuerman says, by making changes to its mental health system.

" There are things we can do to protect our soldiers, " he says. " If a military

psychologist sees one of our soldiers there and thinks there is nothing wrong,

we should have a system in place in which that soldier can request a second

opinion from a nonpartisan civilian provider. "

" Military psychologists work for the employer. Their career is inherent on the

decisions they make to ensure that soldiers go back to the front. That is an

inherent conflict of interest, and I believe that conflict of interest prevents

the provider from being a true advocate for the patient because the psychologist

who saw my son was not an advocate for his safety, " Scheuerman says.

A Reaction from Within the System

" I cannot speak to this case, but what I can say is that we are committed to

improving access to care, wherever we find deficits, " says Col. Elspeth Ritchie,

a psychiatrist with the Army Surgeon General's office. " Every year for the last

five we have sent over a mental health advisory team. And each one has come back

with recommendations on how to better improve care quality and access to care

and to decrease suicide, and we've acted on those recommendations. "

Responding to Scheuerman's suggestions, she says, " We are looking at how we can

bring in civilian psychologists and psychiatrists over to theatre to help us

with taking care of soldiers. "

One of the biggest challenges, she says, is the fact that soldiers are

surrounded by loaded weapons.

" Unfortunately, access to a loaded weapon is a high risk factor to completing a

suicide, and another factor is distance away from home and time away from home

and the effect that has on relationships, " she says.

A principal part of the military's approach right now, she says, it to teach

soldiers to look for warning signs.

" If your buddy gets a Dear e-mail, if they get in trouble, watch out for

him, her. Don't send them away alone. If you are concerned they are suicidal —

escort them to help. Make sure they stay safe, " she says.

The Official Response

The United States Army responded to a request for comment on Scheuerman's

case with the following statement:

" The loss of any member of the Army family is a tragedy and suicide prevention

is a top priority for the U.S. Army. The 2005 death of Private First Class

Scheuerman was investigated thoroughly by his unit and the U.S. Army Criminal

Investigation Command. In fact, the Associated Press story about his 2005 death

is based on the Army's comprehensive investigations. We continue to work with

and assist his family. We are continuously improving and adapting our training,

intervention and support programs. The Army recognizes the importance of suicide

prevention and is taking many steps to decrease those risks that may contribute

to suicidal behavior. Our prevention efforts do help soldiers and their families

deal with the war-time challenges they face every day. "

Text of Scheuerman's Suicide Note

Includes misspellings and blacked out names.

This I leave as my last message to those who I leave behind. I know you think Im

a coward for this but in the face of existing as I am now I have no other

choice. As the 1st Sgt said all I have to look forward to is a butt-buddy in

jail, not much of a future.

I dont want to know what you people think I have going for me to think I should

want to live, trust me, I have nothing. I have done nothing but bring dishonor

to this unit, myself, but most importantly my family. I wanted one last chance

to say goodbye to them but that was taken away like everything else.

Id like also to say goodbye to (blacked out) and (blacked out) the two people

that have held me together until now. Split my things up amoung the platoon,

after all that why people tolerated me, it's funny how getting your things taken

away brings out the truth in people.

Maybe finaly I can get rid of these demons, maybe finaly I can get some peace.

Scheuerman

The Last Days of Private Scheuerman

Dec 19, 2007

2004

_ Feb. 3: Scheuerman enlists in the Army.

2005

_ January: Scheuerman deploys to Iraq with the 3rd Infantry Division from Fort

Benning, Ga.

_ March: Scheuerman comes home on leave from Iraq and tells his father he's

struggling to come to terms with combat and killing people.

_ Late May: Scheuerman visits with the chaplain after another soldier watches

him place his rifle in his mouth.

_ June 22: Scheuerman sleeps on the floor after being punished by having to do

push-ups in front of Iraqi soldiers. He appears " out of touch with reality; in a

world all his own " and stared " with a blank look on his face, " said his platoon

sergeant, who recommends Scheuerman meet with a mental health professional.

_ After the June 22 incident: Scheuerman meets again with the chaplain, who

determines Scheuerman is wresting with " deep rooted problems. " During the visit,

Scheuerman sits with his weapon between his legs and bobs his head on the muzzle

of his rifle. The chaplain advises that his rifle should be taken away

" immediately. "

_Between June 23 and June 25: A counselor meets with Scheuerman, who tells him

he is " feeling down regarding being in the military. "

_ June 24, June 26 and June 28: Scheuerman is repeatedly reprimanded for

indiscretions such as taking out the trash without his weapon, not wearing a

neck protector, misplacing a radio.

_ June 28: On a mental health questionnaire, Scheuerman notes that in the past

he had experienced suicidal thoughts and that he was uptight, anxious, depressed

and had feelings of hopelessness. He's seen by a military psychologist, and

denies thoughts of suicide — although he acknowledges having felt irritable,

worrying excessively and being obsessive over personal items.

_ July 6, 2005: Scheuerman's mother receives an e-mail from Scheuerman saying he

can't deal with things any more. She interprets it as a suicide note and

contacts the military. Scheuerman's captain requests he get a mental evaluation,

noting that he " displays distant, depression-like symptoms when under stress. "

_ July 8: The psychologist meets with Scheuerman a second time and concludes

that Scheuerman does not have a mental health disorder. " It is my opinion this

soldier is capable of claiming mental illness in order to manipulate his

command, shirk duty, or avoid punishment. "

_ July 29: Scheuerman's rifle is found in the back of a Humvee.

_ July 30: Scheuerman is punished again for not wearing all pieces of his

uniform and failing to secure his weapon. He is given two weeks of extra duty.

He is told if he was intentionally misbehaving to get out of the Army, he

instead would face a court martial and become somebody's " butt buddy " in prison.

_ July 30, at around 5:30 p.m.: Less than an hour after being punished, he kills

himself.

Compiled from government documents obtained by the Scheuerman family through

Freedom of Information Act requests.

FAIR USE NOTICE: This may contain copyrighted material. Such material is made

available for educational purposes, to advance understanding of human rights,

democracy, scientific, moral, ethical, and social justice issues, etc. This

transmittal constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as

provided for in Title 17 U.S.C. section 107 of the US Copyright Law. This

material is distributed without profit.

________________________________________________________________________________\

____

Never miss a thing. Make your home page.

http://www./r/hs

[Guest guest]

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=17929487 & sc=nd & f=1001 & sc=em\

af

Iraq

Father Blames Military for Son's Suicide

Day to Day, January 8, 2008 ·

When Scheuerman found out his son had died in Iraq, he says, he knew

something was amiss.

" I believe we found out on Aug. 1, which is the worst day of my life, " he says.

" I was coming home from dinner and a minivan pulled up to the house and from the

minivan came an officer and a chaplain and I knew, right then, why they were

there. I knew that my son was dead. "

Scheuerman is no stranger to military operations. He's a retired master sergeant

and trains soldiers at Fort Bragg in North Carolina.

" Eventually, that evening, they said it was from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

At that point I asked them, 'How could that be?' " Scheuerman says.

Because the Army was reluctant to provide details, it would take Scheuerman the

good part of two years to answer that question. Only after filing numerous

Freedom of Information Act requests and appealing to a local member of Congress

for help, was he able to fit the puzzle pieces together, he says.

The resulting image would haunt him and leave him revving to change the

military's mental health system.

Putting the Pieces Together

Scheuerman says he wondered, every day, what documents would arrive in the

mailbox and what they would say about the days and hours leading up to his son's

death.

His son, Pvt. 1st Class Scheuerman, had deployed to Iraq with the 3rd

Infantry Division in January 2005. He died six months later.

The documents revealed a troubled soldier kept in Iraq despite repeated signs he

was going to kill himself.

" They told us there was no suicide note and that they really didn't know what

happened, " Scheuerman says slowly, his words threatening to give way to

tears. " Months later I received one of my FOIA requests in the mail, and inside

the report that I received was 's suicide note. It broke my heart because

it was obvious that my son was ill and that he needed help. "

Scheuerman knew that his son was having trouble coping with combat. In March

2005, while , 19, was on leave, he told his father he was scared.

The elder Scheuerman told him this was natural, and before leaving him at the

airport for his return to Iraq, he reminded his son to seek help if he was

feeling depressed.

A month later — after putting a rifle in his mouth, but not pulling the trigger

— visited an Army chaplain. A few weeks after that, was evaluated by

an Army psychologist.

" He told me that the psychologist had given him a standardized test and talked

to him for about 10 minutes — and after that evaluation he sent a note back to

command stating that was capable of feigning his illness in order to

manipulate his command, " he says.

He suspected that this assessment would bring hardship on his son, but just how

much became clear only later, once he had read the documents about his son's

death.

" This unit had seen with a muzzle of his weapon in his mouth and did

nothing. This is a unit in which a chaplain writes he believes my son to be

possessed by demons and obsessed with suicide and did nothing, " he says.

The Day of the Suicide

On the day of 's death, he was issued an Article 15, a form of nonjudicial

punishment.

" They gave him that for being out of uniform. During those proceedings, his

first sergeant told him that if he was faking his illness he would go to jail

and become someone's 'butt buddy,' " Scheuerman says.

refers to this directly in his suicide note, writing (including

misspellings):

" This I leave as my last message to those who I leave behind. I know you think

Im a coward for this but in the face of existing as I am now I have no other

choice. As the 1st Sgt said all I have to look forward to is a butt-buddy in

jail, not much of a future. "

Later that day, took his life.

" The day he killed himself he was an absolute suicidal time bomb. What did they

think was going to happen when they sent this soldier to his room by himself

with his weapon? " Scheuerman says.

" The worst thing about this whole situation is that I know in my heart he

shouldn't be dead. It's horrible that we lose the soldiers that we have to. It's

a tragedy when we lose a soldier that we shouldn't have, " he says.

Improving the System

was one of 87 soldiers who committed suicide in 2005. Since then, the

Army's suicide rate has increased each year. The military could decrease this

number, Scheuerman says, by making changes to its mental health system.

" There are things we can do to protect our soldiers, " he says. " If a military

psychologist sees one of our soldiers there and thinks there is nothing wrong,

we should have a system in place in which that soldier can request a second

opinion from a nonpartisan civilian provider. "

" Military psychologists work for the employer. Their career is inherent on the

decisions they make to ensure that soldiers go back to the front. That is an

inherent conflict of interest, and I believe that conflict of interest prevents

the provider from being a true advocate for the patient because the psychologist

who saw my son was not an advocate for his safety, " Scheuerman says.

A Reaction from Within the System

" I cannot speak to this case, but what I can say is that we are committed to

improving access to care, wherever we find deficits, " says Col. Elspeth Ritchie,

a psychiatrist with the Army Surgeon General's office. " Every year for the last

five we have sent over a mental health advisory team. And each one has come back

with recommendations on how to better improve care quality and access to care

and to decrease suicide, and we've acted on those recommendations. "

Responding to Scheuerman's suggestions, she says, " We are looking at how we can

bring in civilian psychologists and psychiatrists over to theatre to help us

with taking care of soldiers. "

One of the biggest challenges, she says, is the fact that soldiers are

surrounded by loaded weapons.

" Unfortunately, access to a loaded weapon is a high risk factor to completing a

suicide, and another factor is distance away from home and time away from home

and the effect that has on relationships, " she says.

A principal part of the military's approach right now, she says, it to teach

soldiers to look for warning signs.

" If your buddy gets a Dear e-mail, if they get in trouble, watch out for

him, her. Don't send them away alone. If you are concerned they are suicidal —

escort them to help. Make sure they stay safe, " she says.

The Official Response

The United States Army responded to a request for comment on Scheuerman's

case with the following statement:

" The loss of any member of the Army family is a tragedy and suicide prevention

is a top priority for the U.S. Army. The 2005 death of Private First Class

Scheuerman was investigated thoroughly by his unit and the U.S. Army Criminal

Investigation Command. In fact, the Associated Press story about his 2005 death

is based on the Army's comprehensive investigations. We continue to work with

and assist his family. We are continuously improving and adapting our training,

intervention and support programs. The Army recognizes the importance of suicide

prevention and is taking many steps to decrease those risks that may contribute

to suicidal behavior. Our prevention efforts do help soldiers and their families

deal with the war-time challenges they face every day. "

Text of Scheuerman's Suicide Note

Includes misspellings and blacked out names.

This I leave as my last message to those who I leave behind. I know you think Im

a coward for this but in the face of existing as I am now I have no other

choice. As the 1st Sgt said all I have to look forward to is a butt-buddy in

jail, not much of a future.

I dont want to know what you people think I have going for me to think I should

want to live, trust me, I have nothing. I have done nothing but bring dishonor

to this unit, myself, but most importantly my family. I wanted one last chance

to say goodbye to them but that was taken away like everything else.

Id like also to say goodbye to (blacked out) and (blacked out) the two people

that have held me together until now. Split my things up amoung the platoon,

after all that why people tolerated me, it's funny how getting your things taken

away brings out the truth in people.

Maybe finaly I can get rid of these demons, maybe finaly I can get some peace.

Scheuerman

The Last Days of Private Scheuerman

Dec 19, 2007

2004

_ Feb. 3: Scheuerman enlists in the Army.

2005

_ January: Scheuerman deploys to Iraq with the 3rd Infantry Division from Fort

Benning, Ga.

_ March: Scheuerman comes home on leave from Iraq and tells his father he's

struggling to come to terms with combat and killing people.

_ Late May: Scheuerman visits with the chaplain after another soldier watches

him place his rifle in his mouth.

_ June 22: Scheuerman sleeps on the floor after being punished by having to do

push-ups in front of Iraqi soldiers. He appears " out of touch with reality; in a

world all his own " and stared " with a blank look on his face, " said his platoon

sergeant, who recommends Scheuerman meet with a mental health professional.

_ After the June 22 incident: Scheuerman meets again with the chaplain, who

determines Scheuerman is wresting with " deep rooted problems. " During the visit,

Scheuerman sits with his weapon between his legs and bobs his head on the muzzle

of his rifle. The chaplain advises that his rifle should be taken away

" immediately. "

_Between June 23 and June 25: A counselor meets with Scheuerman, who tells him

he is " feeling down regarding being in the military. "

_ June 24, June 26 and June 28: Scheuerman is repeatedly reprimanded for

indiscretions such as taking out the trash without his weapon, not wearing a

neck protector, misplacing a radio.

_ June 28: On a mental health questionnaire, Scheuerman notes that in the past

he had experienced suicidal thoughts and that he was uptight, anxious, depressed

and had feelings of hopelessness. He's seen by a military psychologist, and

denies thoughts of suicide — although he acknowledges having felt irritable,

worrying excessively and being obsessive over personal items.

_ July 6, 2005: Scheuerman's mother receives an e-mail from Scheuerman saying he

can't deal with things any more. She interprets it as a suicide note and

contacts the military. Scheuerman's captain requests he get a mental evaluation,

noting that he " displays distant, depression-like symptoms when under stress. "

_ July 8: The psychologist meets with Scheuerman a second time and concludes

that Scheuerman does not have a mental health disorder. " It is my opinion this

soldier is capable of claiming mental illness in order to manipulate his

command, shirk duty, or avoid punishment. "

_ July 29: Scheuerman's rifle is found in the back of a Humvee.

_ July 30: Scheuerman is punished again for not wearing all pieces of his

uniform and failing to secure his weapon. He is given two weeks of extra duty.

He is told if he was intentionally misbehaving to get out of the Army, he

instead would face a court martial and become somebody's " butt buddy " in prison.

_ July 30, at around 5:30 p.m.: Less than an hour after being punished, he kills

himself.

Compiled from government documents obtained by the Scheuerman family through

Freedom of Information Act requests.

FAIR USE NOTICE: This may contain copyrighted material. Such material is made

available for educational purposes, to advance understanding of human rights,

democracy, scientific, moral, ethical, and social justice issues, etc. This

transmittal constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as

provided for in Title 17 U.S.C. section 107 of the US Copyright Law. This

material is distributed without profit.

________________________________________________________________________________\

____

Never miss a thing. Make your home page.

http://www./r/hs

[Guest guest]

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=17929487 & sc=nd & f=1001 & sc=em\

af

Iraq

Father Blames Military for Son's Suicide

Day to Day, January 8, 2008 ·

When Scheuerman found out his son had died in Iraq, he says, he knew

something was amiss.

" I believe we found out on Aug. 1, which is the worst day of my life, " he says.

" I was coming home from dinner and a minivan pulled up to the house and from the

minivan came an officer and a chaplain and I knew, right then, why they were

there. I knew that my son was dead. "

Scheuerman is no stranger to military operations. He's a retired master sergeant

and trains soldiers at Fort Bragg in North Carolina.

" Eventually, that evening, they said it was from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

At that point I asked them, 'How could that be?' " Scheuerman says.

Because the Army was reluctant to provide details, it would take Scheuerman the

good part of two years to answer that question. Only after filing numerous

Freedom of Information Act requests and appealing to a local member of Congress

for help, was he able to fit the puzzle pieces together, he says.

The resulting image would haunt him and leave him revving to change the

military's mental health system.

Putting the Pieces Together

Scheuerman says he wondered, every day, what documents would arrive in the

mailbox and what they would say about the days and hours leading up to his son's

death.

His son, Pvt. 1st Class Scheuerman, had deployed to Iraq with the 3rd

Infantry Division in January 2005. He died six months later.

The documents revealed a troubled soldier kept in Iraq despite repeated signs he

was going to kill himself.

" They told us there was no suicide note and that they really didn't know what

happened, " Scheuerman says slowly, his words threatening to give way to

tears. " Months later I received one of my FOIA requests in the mail, and inside

the report that I received was 's suicide note. It broke my heart because

it was obvious that my son was ill and that he needed help. "

Scheuerman knew that his son was having trouble coping with combat. In March

2005, while , 19, was on leave, he told his father he was scared.

The elder Scheuerman told him this was natural, and before leaving him at the

airport for his return to Iraq, he reminded his son to seek help if he was

feeling depressed.

A month later — after putting a rifle in his mouth, but not pulling the trigger

— visited an Army chaplain. A few weeks after that, was evaluated by

an Army psychologist.

" He told me that the psychologist had given him a standardized test and talked

to him for about 10 minutes — and after that evaluation he sent a note back to

command stating that was capable of feigning his illness in order to

manipulate his command, " he says.

He suspected that this assessment would bring hardship on his son, but just how

much became clear only later, once he had read the documents about his son's

death.

" This unit had seen with a muzzle of his weapon in his mouth and did

nothing. This is a unit in which a chaplain writes he believes my son to be

possessed by demons and obsessed with suicide and did nothing, " he says.

The Day of the Suicide

On the day of 's death, he was issued an Article 15, a form of nonjudicial

punishment.

" They gave him that for being out of uniform. During those proceedings, his

first sergeant told him that if he was faking his illness he would go to jail

and become someone's 'butt buddy,' " Scheuerman says.

refers to this directly in his suicide note, writing (including

misspellings):

" This I leave as my last message to those who I leave behind. I know you think

Im a coward for this but in the face of existing as I am now I have no other

choice. As the 1st Sgt said all I have to look forward to is a butt-buddy in

jail, not much of a future. "

Later that day, took his life.

" The day he killed himself he was an absolute suicidal time bomb. What did they

think was going to happen when they sent this soldier to his room by himself

with his weapon? " Scheuerman says.

" The worst thing about this whole situation is that I know in my heart he

shouldn't be dead. It's horrible that we lose the soldiers that we have to. It's

a tragedy when we lose a soldier that we shouldn't have, " he says.

Improving the System

was one of 87 soldiers who committed suicide in 2005. Since then, the

Army's suicide rate has increased each year. The military could decrease this

number, Scheuerman says, by making changes to its mental health system.

" There are things we can do to protect our soldiers, " he says. " If a military

psychologist sees one of our soldiers there and thinks there is nothing wrong,

we should have a system in place in which that soldier can request a second

opinion from a nonpartisan civilian provider. "

" Military psychologists work for the employer. Their career is inherent on the

decisions they make to ensure that soldiers go back to the front. That is an

inherent conflict of interest, and I believe that conflict of interest prevents

the provider from being a true advocate for the patient because the psychologist

who saw my son was not an advocate for his safety, " Scheuerman says.

A Reaction from Within the System

" I cannot speak to this case, but what I can say is that we are committed to

improving access to care, wherever we find deficits, " says Col. Elspeth Ritchie,

a psychiatrist with the Army Surgeon General's office. " Every year for the last

five we have sent over a mental health advisory team. And each one has come back

with recommendations on how to better improve care quality and access to care

and to decrease suicide, and we've acted on those recommendations. "

Responding to Scheuerman's suggestions, she says, " We are looking at how we can

bring in civilian psychologists and psychiatrists over to theatre to help us

with taking care of soldiers. "

One of the biggest challenges, she says, is the fact that soldiers are

surrounded by loaded weapons.

" Unfortunately, access to a loaded weapon is a high risk factor to completing a

suicide, and another factor is distance away from home and time away from home

and the effect that has on relationships, " she says.

A principal part of the military's approach right now, she says, it to teach

soldiers to look for warning signs.

" If your buddy gets a Dear e-mail, if they get in trouble, watch out for

him, her. Don't send them away alone. If you are concerned they are suicidal —

escort them to help. Make sure they stay safe, " she says.

The Official Response

The United States Army responded to a request for comment on Scheuerman's

case with the following statement:

" The loss of any member of the Army family is a tragedy and suicide prevention

is a top priority for the U.S. Army. The 2005 death of Private First Class

Scheuerman was investigated thoroughly by his unit and the U.S. Army Criminal

Investigation Command. In fact, the Associated Press story about his 2005 death

is based on the Army's comprehensive investigations. We continue to work with

and assist his family. We are continuously improving and adapting our training,

intervention and support programs. The Army recognizes the importance of suicide

prevention and is taking many steps to decrease those risks that may contribute

to suicidal behavior. Our prevention efforts do help soldiers and their families

deal with the war-time challenges they face every day. "

Text of Scheuerman's Suicide Note

Includes misspellings and blacked out names.

This I leave as my last message to those who I leave behind. I know you think Im

a coward for this but in the face of existing as I am now I have no other

choice. As the 1st Sgt said all I have to look forward to is a butt-buddy in

jail, not much of a future.

I dont want to know what you people think I have going for me to think I should

want to live, trust me, I have nothing. I have done nothing but bring dishonor

to this unit, myself, but most importantly my family. I wanted one last chance

to say goodbye to them but that was taken away like everything else.

Id like also to say goodbye to (blacked out) and (blacked out) the two people

that have held me together until now. Split my things up amoung the platoon,

after all that why people tolerated me, it's funny how getting your things taken

away brings out the truth in people.

Maybe finaly I can get rid of these demons, maybe finaly I can get some peace.

Scheuerman

The Last Days of Private Scheuerman

Dec 19, 2007

2004

_ Feb. 3: Scheuerman enlists in the Army.

2005

_ January: Scheuerman deploys to Iraq with the 3rd Infantry Division from Fort

Benning, Ga.

_ March: Scheuerman comes home on leave from Iraq and tells his father he's

struggling to come to terms with combat and killing people.

_ Late May: Scheuerman visits with the chaplain after another soldier watches

him place his rifle in his mouth.

_ June 22: Scheuerman sleeps on the floor after being punished by having to do

push-ups in front of Iraqi soldiers. He appears " out of touch with reality; in a

world all his own " and stared " with a blank look on his face, " said his platoon

sergeant, who recommends Scheuerman meet with a mental health professional.

_ After the June 22 incident: Scheuerman meets again with the chaplain, who

determines Scheuerman is wresting with " deep rooted problems. " During the visit,

Scheuerman sits with his weapon between his legs and bobs his head on the muzzle

of his rifle. The chaplain advises that his rifle should be taken away

" immediately. "

_Between June 23 and June 25: A counselor meets with Scheuerman, who tells him

he is " feeling down regarding being in the military. "

_ June 24, June 26 and June 28: Scheuerman is repeatedly reprimanded for

indiscretions such as taking out the trash without his weapon, not wearing a

neck protector, misplacing a radio.

_ June 28: On a mental health questionnaire, Scheuerman notes that in the past

he had experienced suicidal thoughts and that he was uptight, anxious, depressed

and had feelings of hopelessness. He's seen by a military psychologist, and

denies thoughts of suicide — although he acknowledges having felt irritable,

worrying excessively and being obsessive over personal items.

_ July 6, 2005: Scheuerman's mother receives an e-mail from Scheuerman saying he

can't deal with things any more. She interprets it as a suicide note and

contacts the military. Scheuerman's captain requests he get a mental evaluation,

noting that he " displays distant, depression-like symptoms when under stress. "

_ July 8: The psychologist meets with Scheuerman a second time and concludes

that Scheuerman does not have a mental health disorder. " It is my opinion this

soldier is capable of claiming mental illness in order to manipulate his

command, shirk duty, or avoid punishment. "

_ July 29: Scheuerman's rifle is found in the back of a Humvee.

_ July 30: Scheuerman is punished again for not wearing all pieces of his

uniform and failing to secure his weapon. He is given two weeks of extra duty.

He is told if he was intentionally misbehaving to get out of the Army, he

instead would face a court martial and become somebody's " butt buddy " in prison.

_ July 30, at around 5:30 p.m.: Less than an hour after being punished, he kills

himself.

Compiled from government documents obtained by the Scheuerman family through

Freedom of Information Act requests.

FAIR USE NOTICE: This may contain copyrighted material. Such material is made

available for educational purposes, to advance understanding of human rights,

democracy, scientific, moral, ethical, and social justice issues, etc. This

transmittal constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as

provided for in Title 17 U.S.C. section 107 of the US Copyright Law. This

material is distributed without profit.

________________________________________________________________________________\

____

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[Guest guest]

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=17929487 & sc=nd & f=1001 & sc=em\

af

Iraq

Father Blames Military for Son's Suicide

Day to Day, January 8, 2008 ·

When Scheuerman found out his son had died in Iraq, he says, he knew

something was amiss.

" I believe we found out on Aug. 1, which is the worst day of my life, " he says.

" I was coming home from dinner and a minivan pulled up to the house and from the

minivan came an officer and a chaplain and I knew, right then, why they were

there. I knew that my son was dead. "

Scheuerman is no stranger to military operations. He's a retired master sergeant

and trains soldiers at Fort Bragg in North Carolina.

" Eventually, that evening, they said it was from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

At that point I asked them, 'How could that be?' " Scheuerman says.

Because the Army was reluctant to provide details, it would take Scheuerman the

good part of two years to answer that question. Only after filing numerous

Freedom of Information Act requests and appealing to a local member of Congress

for help, was he able to fit the puzzle pieces together, he says.

The resulting image would haunt him and leave him revving to change the

military's mental health system.

Putting the Pieces Together

Scheuerman says he wondered, every day, what documents would arrive in the

mailbox and what they would say about the days and hours leading up to his son's

death.

His son, Pvt. 1st Class Scheuerman, had deployed to Iraq with the 3rd

Infantry Division in January 2005. He died six months later.

The documents revealed a troubled soldier kept in Iraq despite repeated signs he

was going to kill himself.

" They told us there was no suicide note and that they really didn't know what

happened, " Scheuerman says slowly, his words threatening to give way to

tears. " Months later I received one of my FOIA requests in the mail, and inside

the report that I received was 's suicide note. It broke my heart because

it was obvious that my son was ill and that he needed help. "

Scheuerman knew that his son was having trouble coping with combat. In March

2005, while , 19, was on leave, he told his father he was scared.

The elder Scheuerman told him this was natural, and before leaving him at the

airport for his return to Iraq, he reminded his son to seek help if he was

feeling depressed.

A month later — after putting a rifle in his mouth, but not pulling the trigger

— visited an Army chaplain. A few weeks after that, was evaluated by

an Army psychologist.

" He told me that the psychologist had given him a standardized test and talked

to him for about 10 minutes — and after that evaluation he sent a note back to

command stating that was capable of feigning his illness in order to

manipulate his command, " he says.

He suspected that this assessment would bring hardship on his son, but just how

much became clear only later, once he had read the documents about his son's

death.

" This unit had seen with a muzzle of his weapon in his mouth and did

nothing. This is a unit in which a chaplain writes he believes my son to be

possessed by demons and obsessed with suicide and did nothing, " he says.

The Day of the Suicide

On the day of 's death, he was issued an Article 15, a form of nonjudicial

punishment.

" They gave him that for being out of uniform. During those proceedings, his

first sergeant told him that if he was faking his illness he would go to jail

and become someone's 'butt buddy,' " Scheuerman says.

refers to this directly in his suicide note, writing (including

misspellings):

" This I leave as my last message to those who I leave behind. I know you think

Im a coward for this but in the face of existing as I am now I have no other

choice. As the 1st Sgt said all I have to look forward to is a butt-buddy in

jail, not much of a future. "

Later that day, took his life.

" The day he killed himself he was an absolute suicidal time bomb. What did they

think was going to happen when they sent this soldier to his room by himself

with his weapon? " Scheuerman says.

" The worst thing about this whole situation is that I know in my heart he

shouldn't be dead. It's horrible that we lose the soldiers that we have to. It's

a tragedy when we lose a soldier that we shouldn't have, " he says.

Improving the System

was one of 87 soldiers who committed suicide in 2005. Since then, the

Army's suicide rate has increased each year. The military could decrease this

number, Scheuerman says, by making changes to its mental health system.

" There are things we can do to protect our soldiers, " he says. " If a military

psychologist sees one of our soldiers there and thinks there is nothing wrong,

we should have a system in place in which that soldier can request a second

opinion from a nonpartisan civilian provider. "

" Military psychologists work for the employer. Their career is inherent on the

decisions they make to ensure that soldiers go back to the front. That is an

inherent conflict of interest, and I believe that conflict of interest prevents

the provider from being a true advocate for the patient because the psychologist

who saw my son was not an advocate for his safety, " Scheuerman says.

A Reaction from Within the System

" I cannot speak to this case, but what I can say is that we are committed to

improving access to care, wherever we find deficits, " says Col. Elspeth Ritchie,

a psychiatrist with the Army Surgeon General's office. " Every year for the last

five we have sent over a mental health advisory team. And each one has come back

with recommendations on how to better improve care quality and access to care

and to decrease suicide, and we've acted on those recommendations. "

Responding to Scheuerman's suggestions, she says, " We are looking at how we can

bring in civilian psychologists and psychiatrists over to theatre to help us

with taking care of soldiers. "

One of the biggest challenges, she says, is the fact that soldiers are

surrounded by loaded weapons.

" Unfortunately, access to a loaded weapon is a high risk factor to completing a

suicide, and another factor is distance away from home and time away from home

and the effect that has on relationships, " she says.

A principal part of the military's approach right now, she says, it to teach

soldiers to look for warning signs.

" If your buddy gets a Dear e-mail, if they get in trouble, watch out for

him, her. Don't send them away alone. If you are concerned they are suicidal —

escort them to help. Make sure they stay safe, " she says.

The Official Response

The United States Army responded to a request for comment on Scheuerman's

case with the following statement:

" The loss of any member of the Army family is a tragedy and suicide prevention

is a top priority for the U.S. Army. The 2005 death of Private First Class

Scheuerman was investigated thoroughly by his unit and the U.S. Army Criminal

Investigation Command. In fact, the Associated Press story about his 2005 death

is based on the Army's comprehensive investigations. We continue to work with

and assist his family. We are continuously improving and adapting our training,

intervention and support programs. The Army recognizes the importance of suicide

prevention and is taking many steps to decrease those risks that may contribute

to suicidal behavior. Our prevention efforts do help soldiers and their families

deal with the war-time challenges they face every day. "

Text of Scheuerman's Suicide Note

Includes misspellings and blacked out names.

This I leave as my last message to those who I leave behind. I know you think Im

a coward for this but in the face of existing as I am now I have no other

choice. As the 1st Sgt said all I have to look forward to is a butt-buddy in

jail, not much of a future.

I dont want to know what you people think I have going for me to think I should

want to live, trust me, I have nothing. I have done nothing but bring dishonor

to this unit, myself, but most importantly my family. I wanted one last chance

to say goodbye to them but that was taken away like everything else.

Id like also to say goodbye to (blacked out) and (blacked out) the two people

that have held me together until now. Split my things up amoung the platoon,

after all that why people tolerated me, it's funny how getting your things taken

away brings out the truth in people.

Maybe finaly I can get rid of these demons, maybe finaly I can get some peace.

Scheuerman

The Last Days of Private Scheuerman

Dec 19, 2007

2004

_ Feb. 3: Scheuerman enlists in the Army.

2005

_ January: Scheuerman deploys to Iraq with the 3rd Infantry Division from Fort

Benning, Ga.

_ March: Scheuerman comes home on leave from Iraq and tells his father he's

struggling to come to terms with combat and killing people.

_ Late May: Scheuerman visits with the chaplain after another soldier watches

him place his rifle in his mouth.

_ June 22: Scheuerman sleeps on the floor after being punished by having to do

push-ups in front of Iraqi soldiers. He appears " out of touch with reality; in a

world all his own " and stared " with a blank look on his face, " said his platoon

sergeant, who recommends Scheuerman meet with a mental health professional.

_ After the June 22 incident: Scheuerman meets again with the chaplain, who

determines Scheuerman is wresting with " deep rooted problems. " During the visit,

Scheuerman sits with his weapon between his legs and bobs his head on the muzzle

of his rifle. The chaplain advises that his rifle should be taken away

" immediately. "

_Between June 23 and June 25: A counselor meets with Scheuerman, who tells him

he is " feeling down regarding being in the military. "

_ June 24, June 26 and June 28: Scheuerman is repeatedly reprimanded for

indiscretions such as taking out the trash without his weapon, not wearing a

neck protector, misplacing a radio.

_ June 28: On a mental health questionnaire, Scheuerman notes that in the past

he had experienced suicidal thoughts and that he was uptight, anxious, depressed

and had feelings of hopelessness. He's seen by a military psychologist, and

denies thoughts of suicide — although he acknowledges having felt irritable,

worrying excessively and being obsessive over personal items.

_ July 6, 2005: Scheuerman's mother receives an e-mail from Scheuerman saying he

can't deal with things any more. She interprets it as a suicide note and

contacts the military. Scheuerman's captain requests he get a mental evaluation,

noting that he " displays distant, depression-like symptoms when under stress. "

_ July 8: The psychologist meets with Scheuerman a second time and concludes

that Scheuerman does not have a mental health disorder. " It is my opinion this

soldier is capable of claiming mental illness in order to manipulate his

command, shirk duty, or avoid punishment. "

_ July 29: Scheuerman's rifle is found in the back of a Humvee.

_ July 30: Scheuerman is punished again for not wearing all pieces of his

uniform and failing to secure his weapon. He is given two weeks of extra duty.

He is told if he was intentionally misbehaving to get out of the Army, he

instead would face a court martial and become somebody's " butt buddy " in prison.

_ July 30, at around 5:30 p.m.: Less than an hour after being punished, he kills

himself.

Compiled from government documents obtained by the Scheuerman family through

Freedom of Information Act requests.

FAIR USE NOTICE: This may contain copyrighted material. Such material is made

available for educational purposes, to advance understanding of human rights,

democracy, scientific, moral, ethical, and social justice issues, etc. This

transmittal constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as

provided for in Title 17 U.S.C. section 107 of the US Copyright Law. This

material is distributed without profit.

________________________________________________________________________________\

____

Never miss a thing. Make your home page.

http://www./r/hs