JEFFERSON CITY, MO. -- It has happened 28 times since 2001.
A fourth of those have occurred in the 2010 calendar year alone.
That’s why this year the Missouri National Guard put a spotlight on suicide among citizen soldiers.
The guard has partnered with the Missouri School Boards Association on a public service campaign, which started earlier this year.
Missouri Guard Adj. Gen. Steve Danner does the voice over for the PSA "We can do anything unless people are aware of the situation.”
Studies indicate only 50 percent of guard suicides involve combat veterans. Almost all involve broken relationships at home, which is what got the Missouri School Boards Association involved.
"When one looks at the data on the extent of suicides in the National Guard, a compelling statistic is that, in many of those cases, school age children are directly impacted,” Missouri School Boards Association Joel Denney said.
It's not the first time the guard has turned to outside help. Lincoln University provided a suicide training video, which was filmed in Jefferson City, and suicide experts came to Missouri to help change the “suck-it-up camo” culture.
"I did talk about creating a community and a culture that is accepting of the fact that there can be problems in people's lives,” Suicide Expert Dr. David Schonfeld said.
“It is very complicated matter, but the experts on behavior change tell us that awareness precedes any change in behavior,” Denney said.
The guard wanted the PSA on the air in time for the holidays, a time when suicides increase in many corners of society.
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