Politics
Army general makes heartfelt plea to troops to ‘look after each other’ amid fears more may take their own lives
A TOP Army general who wrestled with PTSD made a heartfelt plea to troops to “look after each other” amid fears more may take their own lives.
General Sir Patrick Sanders wrote to every soldier in the Rifles.
It came after the deaths of Colour Serjeant Matt Pascoe and Lance Corporal Andy Francis, 30, brought the regiment’s toll to 12 since the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
General Sanders, 54, said asking for help was “the brave and the right thing to do”.
He wrote: “Tragically Matt and Andy are not the first Riflemen we have lost in this manner and despite all that the Army and regiment have now been doing for some time, I fear they will not be the last.”
Gen Sanders — tipped to be Chief of Defence Staff — earlier revealed he contemplated suicide.
Most read in News
YOU’RE NOT ALONE
EVERY 90 minutes in the UK a life is lost to suicide.
It doesn’t discriminate, touching the lives of people in every corner of society – from the homeless and unemployed to builders and doctors, reality stars and footballers.
It’s the biggest killer of people under the age of 35, more deadly than cancer and car crashes.
Yet it’s rarely spoken of, a taboo that threatens to continue its deadly rampage unless we all stop and take notice, now.
That is why The Sun launched the You’re Not Alone campaign.
The aim is that by sharing practical advice, raising awareness and breaking down the barriers people face when talking about their mental health, we can all do our bit to help save lives.
Let’s all vow to ask for help when we need it, and listen out for others… You’re Not Alone.
If you, or anyone you know, needs help dealing with mental health problems, the following organisations provide support:
- CALM, www.thecalmzone.net, 0800 585 858
- Heads Together, www.headstogether.org.uk
- Mind, www.mind.org.uk, 0300 123 3393
- Papyrus, www.papyrus-uk.org, 0800 068 41 41
- Samaritans, www.samaritans.org, 116 123
