Major General James Terry, Commander February 2, 2010
10th Mountain Division (Light)
Headquarters Bldg.,
Ft Drum, N Y 13602-5000

Dear General Terry,

You may recall that I sent you an earlier "open letter" on December 7, 2009 asking you to request an official AR 15 investigation into a series of recent homicides and suicides involving Ft Drum soldiers. In that letter, I mentioned the stabbing deaths of two Ft Drum soldiers, allegedly by another Ft Drum soldier. I also mentioned two apparent suicides by Ft Drum personnel; one in March and another in November, 2009. I have heard nothing from you or your staff in response to my letter.

I am writing you again now because we have learned of two more recent deaths of Ft Drum soldiers which may be determined to be suicides. We have also learned a good deal more about the suicidal actions of PFC Tam Nguyen, which culminated in his death in a Ft Drum barracks on November 25, 2009, the day before Thanksgiving. These additional deaths provide even more reasons why an independent investigation of mental health treatment for Ft Drum personnel is a necessity, if corrective actions are to be taken

1) Staff Sgt Cory R. Anderson, 26, assigned to the 3d Brigade, was found dead in his off base apartment at 133 Scio Street in Watertown on January 14, 2010. A ruling of his cause of death awaits toxicological test results, but the civilian police have already ruled out foul play as a possible cause.

2) PFC Thomas Hodge, 29, assigned to the 2d Brigade, who was found dead at home in Mount Solon VA., while home on leave from Iraq duty. Again, no decision has yet been made about the cause of death, but suicide certainly must be considered among the possible explanations.

3) PFC Tam Nguyen's close friends have been in contact with me and have provided me with a number of details about how his mental state spiralled downward in the seven months after his arrival at Ft Drum in April, 2009. I would be happy to share this evidence with an independent investigator who is seeking to determine if mental health resources and agencies, both on base and at the Samaritan Hospital were properly employed to care for PFC Nguyen.

General Terry, as a soldier's advocate with over thirty years' experience, it is my belief that a serious problem exists within your command when soldiers develop mental health problems. Only an independent investigation can dig deeply into these systemic deficiencies and "let the chips fall where they may."

I await your response and stand ready to provide new information about PFC Nguyen's mental state to an independent investigation.

Yours truly,

Thomas "Tod" Ensign,Esq., Dir., Citizen Soldier (212) 679-2250