In January, the United States Army lost more of its soldiers to suicide than to fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan. Twenty-four January deaths are either confirmed or suspected suicides. That's the most since the Army began tracking the statistic in 1980. Among the soldiers who killed themselves in January: a 27-year old Iraq veteran stationed at Ft. Carson. Specialist Larry Applegate shot himself after a violent standoff with police at his home in Colorado Springs. Critics have blasted Ft. Carson, accusing it of failing to properly care for soldiers who face psychological problems. But for the base's senior officer, suicide is more than an Army problem... it has also hit home. Major General Mark Graham's son, Kevin, also a soldier, killed himself in 2003.
Today begins a two-part interview on the issue of suicide, with Ryan Warner of KCFR, and Major General Mark Graham of Ft. Carson.
