Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Live Saturday

Fort Bragg Murders Astonish Army

Aired July 27, 2002 - 18:15   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: Well, in North Carolina, military officials are looking at whether soldier's stress is creating deadly consequences on the home front. In recent weeks, the wives of four elite soldiers have been killed. The husbands accused in their deaths. CNN's Mark Potter has more on the investigation.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARK POTTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): At Fort Bragg, the four murders have prompted a review of the Army's family counseling and stress management procedures. Col. Tad Davis, the garrison commander, says officers will be told to be much more aggressive now in watching for psychological distress and in ordering soldiers to attend counseling sessions.

COLONEL TAD DAVIS, FT. BRAGG GARRISON COMMANDER: We're going to put more emphasis on how we approach our soldiers. Before, during, and after deployments. Because we know that if there are problems, you know, in a soldier's life, in a family, before they deploy in many cases they're going to be there when the soldier returns.

POTTER: In the last two months, two soldiers were jailed here for allegedly murdering their wives by strangling or stabbing them. Two other soldiers committed suicide right after allegedly shooting their wives to death. Three of the soldiers were assigned to Special Operations and had returned from Afghanistan. Investigators say they had long standing marital problems. In light of the killings, family counseling may at times rise in importance over other training.

DAVIS: In some cases, it may be much, much more important that a young couple, you know, go out and see a marriage counselor or receive some financial counseling on that given day than it would be for a soldier to go to the rifle range and qualify with his weapon. I mean, we take these things that seriously.

POTTER: The Army has a family assistance program and at a recent class was emphasizing problems that come at the beginning and end of deployment.

UNIDENTIFIED COUNSELOR: Most stress is going to happen is when they come back. They are service members, the soldiers. We have different expectations, and that's why communication, the key in all of this is communication. POTTER: Nadia and Sherene are military wives whose husbands are on deployment. They agree it can be difficult.

SHERENE, ARMY WIFE: Every time he comes home, I'm kind of away -- just observing him -- you know, see a key change cause sometimes he comes back, he doesn't sleep good, he wakes up in the middle of the night, you know, cause he's still stressed.

POTTER: The garrison commander says the Army is now more aware of the problem, and predicts that changes in counseling procedures will not only be seen at Fort Bragg, but could effect the entire US Military.

Mark Potter, CNN, Fayetteville, North Carolina.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com