Two days before shipping off to war, Marine Pfc. Jesse Sheets sat inside a trailer in the Mojave Desert, his gaze fixed on a computer that flashed a rhythmic pulse of contrasting images.

The Army's Wounded Warrior Program, which helps veterans adjust to civilian life, has been reaching out to employers to encourage them to hire former soldiers.

Soldier suicides this year are almost sure to top last year's, but a recent decline in the pace of such deaths could mean the Army is making progress in stemming them, officials say.

Coroner John White is presiding over a sad tally in this northern Indiana county, tracking rising numbers of suicides he believes are linked to the lingering recession. Elkhart may be a harbinger of deadly increases in other hard-hit areas.

Last week's episode of "The Office" where Steve Carell's character tries to scare children by faking a hanging has disturbed suicide prevention groups.