THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, October 20, 1994 TAG: 9410200356
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A10 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: THE WASHINGTON POST
DATELINE: WASHINGTON LENGTH: Short : 42 lines
Alarmed by three suicides in three weeks among U.S. military members in Haiti, the Pentagon has announced that a ``combat stress action team'' has arrived in the country to provide psychological counseling.
Pentagon officials said they don't know if the suicides are related, but the number of self-inflicted deaths among the 20,000 military personnel in Haiti is unusual.
In Somalia, where 96,000 troops served more than a year, only one suicide was reported. During the Persian Gulf war, there were 25 times more U.S. military personnel sent to the Middle East than have been dispatched to Haiti, but just eight suicides, a ratio less than in Haiti.
``We're taking it very seriously and we're pursuing it,'' Pentagon spokesman Dennis Boxx said.
The action team includes three military psychiatrists, who Boxx said will work with chaplains from the Army to help leaders from individual units identify the symptoms of someone who might be suicidal, as well as provide direct counseling to soldiers in emotional distress.
Two of the suicides were committed by people who served in the same brigade of the Army's 10th Mountain Division, and one was by a Marine who was serving on a Navy ship in the Haiti operation.
The 10th Mountain Division's commander, Maj. Gen. David C. Meade, ``has spoken with all of his unit commanders to increase awareness of this issue, and to make sure we try to stay on top of it.'' Boxx added.
Boxx also said Deputy Defense Secretary John Deutch authorized the call-up of 3,100 reserve troops for Haiti. About 2,000 reserve troops had been activated earlier.
Some of the reservists will go to Haiti to relieve other personnel.
KEYWORDS: U.S. MILITARY SUICIDE HAITI by CNB