Lt. Col. Bryan Jacobson says, "All of us are saying that it's ok to ask for help. Get help. The resources are out there. But there's still that stigma, still that fear that it's gonna ruin my military career, it's going to, people are going to think less of me, think that I'm weak, when it's the farthest thing from the truth."

There are currently about 72,000 soldiers and veterans in South Dakota, many of whom could benefit from services associated with the Coalition.

YFS Director of Community Support John Gordon says, "There are numerous ways that we can all partner to better serve not only military families but children and families all over western South Dakota and our entire state. So it's a wonderful thing that I believe the National Guard is implementing here, and to start building this coalition so we as a community can all come together and best serve these folks that are not only in the military, but as they are leaving the military. So we're really excited and hope the partnership will continue to thrive."

Sometimes it's very difficult to recognize symptoms of a problem, and it may take a professional or even a family member to bring the issue to light.

Jacobson says, "Often, soldiers, not just soldiers, airmen, service members in general don't recognize that they have a problem. And it's their family members that are the first to recognize and say 'Hey, something's not right. Something's not normal.'"

Cheryl Lee