Lansing mother and son, Denise Becker and Justin Smerud, run half-marathon in Chicago to raise awareness of Post Traumatic Stress, Traumatic Brain Injury

July 22, 2012, Denise Becker of Lansing laced up her running shoes for the third year in a row and hit the streets of Chicago. This year she was joined by her son, Justin Smerud, in his half-marathon debut. Becker and her children have run the Chicago Rock and Roll half-marathon for the past three years to raise awareness of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and how it is affecting American troops returning home.
The money raised stays in the community to support local veterans and provide funding for counseling and educational materials. This year Becker and her son raised a total of $3720.00.
Recent studies show that more troops are lost to suicide than in combat in Afghanistan, and the “suicide rate went up 80% from 2004 to 2008 and up 18% just this year. From January 1 of this year to June 3 of this year, 136 troops have died in Afghanistan; over the same period, 154 service members across the force killed themselves - just shy of one per day. The Pentagon spends “less then 5% of the military’s annual medical budget on mental health.” (Marine Corps Times,  August 13, 2012, pg. 9).
 
A recent article in the Marine Corps Times dated July 30, 2012 stated a young Marine who suffered from PTSD was being court martialed for attempted suicide. The conviction wasn’t for attempted suicide but for “self-injury,” stating that self-injury was “prejudicial to good order and discipline” and “was conduct of a nature to bring discredit upon the military.” This can only lead to a decreased number of service members who would be willing to go for help.
The Veterans Administration has put has a new resource out called “About Face” which offers online assessments and videos to help current and former service members recognize PTSD symptoms and get help. The email address is www.ptsd.va.gov. Anyone who believes they may be suffering from PTSD or TBI, or who has a loved one who may be suffering from PTSD or TBI is encouraged to call their local Veterans Affairs office.