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Curbing a Crisis: Fighting military suicides in Jacksonville

It's an unsettling trend for our nation's military. The number of military suicides rose again last year to 349 -- reaching an all-time high. So, what's being done to help those who served?

"We're closer to the beginning of this problem than we are to a solution," says Jacksonville's Military Affairs Director Rear Admiral (ret) Victor Guillory.

And with every one in four people in Jacksonville being in the military or connected to it, Guillory says they're working to help all who could be impacted by depression, post-traumatic stress disorder or brain injuries, whether you're active duty, a veteran, a spouse, or a care-giver.

"For the veterans that are facing challenges that are from their view-point, insurmountable, we make sure they're connected up to both services with the city and the Department of Veterans Administration," says Guillory.

They're also educating local companies that hire veterans on what signs of trauma to be aware of.

For more information, visit the city of Jacksonville's Military Affairs, Veterans and Disabled Services Department website, or call their office (Monday thru Friday, 8am-5pm) via (904) 630-CITY. You can also call the Veterans Crisis Hotline at 1-800-273-8255.

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