Our handsome boy entered active duty service in October of 2003 at the young age of 18. He joined up while still in High School in response to the patriotic fever that had swept the country after 9/11.  I was proud that he joined up, though both Jannett (my wife) and I had many reservations.   In December of 2005 Chance, was deployed to Iraq, where he served as equipment operator and gunner on tactical convoys.   He completed his 4 year enlistment in late 2007 and left the army, turning down a $27,000 reenlistment bonus.  His marriage broke up during his deployment and impacted him greatly.  He had been on suicide watch late in his first deployment.  His battle buddies recognized he was in trouble after he threw his wedding ring into the Tigris River upon realizing his marriage was over.  His gun was taken away for ten days.  We were so happy when he came home, left the enlisted army, got a job, a new girlfriend and began to rebuild his life.  2008 was a very happy year for Chance and our family.  He was strong and healthy - he could lift 300lbs and run a mile in under 6 minutes.

However, when he signed up in 2003, his commitment also included a four year stint in the Ready Reserves. So also in 2008 he began fulfilling his weekend warrior requirements with a small 10-man Indiana based unit.  That small group of Reservists was called up and on his second deployment Chance was assigned to the 300 man 961^st Engineer Company from Sharonville, OH, a subordinate unit of Task Force 844 based in Baghdad and deployed in April of 2009.   They had only spent several weeks together before going off to war. We have subsequently learned that The American Portability Act prevents battle field trauma information from a soldiers enlisted time from being shared with his reserve unit.  

His unit returned from Iraq in April of 2010.   Chancellor Keesling was the only death of any kind suffered by the 961^st.

Our son died by suicide in a latrine at Camp Striker in Baghdad, Iraq on June 19, 2009.  He was 25 years old. His awards and decorations included the Army Achievement medal and the National Defense Service medal. The 15-6 Military Investigation into his death revealed that Chancellor was a good soldier and one who was loved by his unit.  He was in charge of the Physical Training (PT) and his battle buddies and leadership told us stories of Chance's exploits motivating other soldiers to train and become more fit.   There was great shock among his commander and immediate superiors to learn that he was under suicide watch in 2007.  No one knew, and the only way they could have known was if Chance told them.  When the American Portability Act was passed, Reservist soldiers were not used in war the way they are now.  Often when a soldier returned from war and joined up with the Reserves his Reserve Commander could also be his employer.  It was thought that battle field trauma, like Chance experienced was best left within the VA to prevent employers and others in the community for discriminating against the returning veterans.  General Casey wrote in late 2009 that it was Chance's responsibility to tell his new unit of any mental health problems.  We believe that is an especially tough burden to place on soldiers. Chance told us it was impossible to do that because he would not be believed and that it would appear was just trying to get out of being deployed.  We encouraged him to talk with the Chaplain, but I believe that is very hard to do too, as it shows weakness and above all else, our son wanted to be strong!

Unfortunately Chance never found a way to communicate with the leadership of this new unit that he had just been assigned to, and shortly after arriving in Baghdad he had a fight with his new girlfriend.  He told my wife "this deployment is going to be like the last one.  I can't take another whole year like that knowing the one I love is leaving me."  It was all very surreal having Army personnel come to your home and tell you your son had died overseas while serving his country.

After his death, we learned that there is a long standing United States policy that prevents the President or top ranking Pentagon brass to acknowledge the families whose child dies by suicide while at war as he would if the death were for any other reason.  That really shocked me.  The lack of acknowledgement and condolences has left us with an emotional vacuum and a feeling that we his family have somehow less of a sacrifice.  Our son's military service since 2003 and through two deployments to Iraq is at best underappreciated and at worst, it's treated as nonexistent and completely unacknowledged.  These are feelings my family and friends are struggling one year after his death.

He succumbed to an illness as much as someone who dies in the war theater from food poisoning or infection, and we believe that the President should send condolences and express the country's appreciation to families like ours.  We feel the Commander and Chief could also encourage Congress to look at the American Portability Act and more forcefully encourage current efforts underway by the military to thwart the growing suicide crisis. Congress persons Dan Burton (IN) and Grace Napolitano (CA)  have authorized a bipartisan resolution calling on the President to change the policy. Press Secretary Gibbs told a CNN reporter in November 2009 that the President was reviewing this policy that he had inherited from previous administrations.  During the nine months this review has been underway, hundreds more soldiers have died by suicide.  Jannett and I know the pain, suffering and humiliation these families struggle with.

 

Less than 1% of our country serves in the military. Regardless of how a soldier dies at war, unless there are exigent circumstances the families of these soldiers who make a significant sacrifice for our country deserve solace and acknowledgement from the President and top military brass.  My wife and I have begun an effort to get the President to change the policy.  We hope you might support our efforts. You can learn a bit more from these links: