"The House of Representatives this afternoon passed a suicide-prevention measure named for a New Jersey soldier who took his own life after serving two tours of duty in Iraq.
The legislation would require military counselors to remain in touch with Iraq and Afghanistan veterans who are in the Individual Ready Reserve, a pool of tens of thousands of service members who have returned to civilian life but who remain available for call-up.
IRR members, living off-base and isolated from their buddies, typically don’t have access to the same support services as active-duty and National Guard troops, something the bill’s sponsor, Rep. Rush Holt (D-12th Dist.), has called a critical void in the military’s suicide-prevention efforts.
Under the measure, counselors must call IRR members and other isolated service members every 90 days to assess their well-being. The legislation is named for Army Sgt. Coleman Bean, an East Brunswick native who committed suicide in September 2008 at age 25.
Bean parachuted into northern Iraq during the 2003 invasion and served a second tour in 2007. Diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, he struggled to rebuild his life and had difficulty getting help from both the Army and the Department of Veterans Affairs.
The Senate has yet to take up the bill."
Two years ago, I took a group of Boy Scouts from Troop 223 to Coleman's funeral in Milltown. The scouts were very affected by what they saw and heard at the church service, especially by the close relationship between Coleman and his brothers. They were just regular guys from our regular town, but war reached out its greedy hand and snatched Coleman, even when everyone thought he was safe at home.
This Memorial Day, let's remember that not all war wounds are the same and that some are easier to see than others are. Let's make sure that all our soldiers get the support they need to remain whole.
Keep reading and writing,
Maureen
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