A decorated Green Beret who took his life on New Year’s Day and triggered an explosion in a Tesla Cybertruck in Las Vegas was involved in a counseling program designed for special operations troops involved in high-risk operations.
Army Master Sgt. Matthew Livelsberger, 37, signed up for the Preservation of the Force and Family program, a resiliency initiative established in 2010 by the U.S. Special Operations Command, Brig. Gen. Amanda Azubuike, chief of Army public affairs, said Saturday.
“He did not display any concerning behaviors at the time, and was granted personal leave,” Gen. Azubuike said. “All relevant records were provided to the FBI as the lead investigative agency.”
Law enforcement officials in Las Vegas said the evidence indicates that Sgt. Livelsberger, a veteran of multiple combat tours, had post-traumatic stress disorder when he pulled up to the Trump International Hotel on New Year’s Day and set off the explosives.
Investigators recovered a cellphone that offered clues as to a possible motive. Sgt. Livelsberg used a note-taking app to document his thoughts about political and personal grievances. Assistant Sheriff Dori Koren of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department read aloud part of the journal during a press conference.
“We are the United States of America, the best country [and] people to ever exist, but right now, we are terminally ill and headed towards collapse. This was not a terrorist attack. It was a wake-up call,” Sheriff Koren read. “Americans only pay attention to spectacles and violence. What better way to get my point across than a stunt with fireworks and explosives?”
The Green Beret wrote that the U.S. was led by “feckless” government officials concerned only with accumulating wealth and power.
Sgt. Livelsberger was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 10th Special Forces Group in Germany when he signed off on leave and returned to Colorado Springs, Colorado, where the rest of the unit is located. Authorities said he rented the Tesla Cybertruck in Denver.
He had served multiple combat tours and received several decorations, including the Bronze Star Medal for Valor, the Army Commendation Medal for Valor and the Meritorious Service Medal, among others.
But one of the notes left on the cellphone indicates that Sgt. Livelsberger also was troubled by his combat experiences in Afghanistan.
“I need to cleanse my mind of the brothers I’ve lost and relieve myself of the burden of the lives I took,” he wrote.
FBI agents interviewed friends and family members, along with fellow soldiers he served with, for information about him. Sgt. Livelsberger held no animosity toward President-elect Donald Trump, although the truck detonated in front of his hotel in Las Vegas.
“He likely suffered from PTSD, and we are also aware that there were potentially other family issues or personal grievances in his own life that may have been contributing factors,” said Spencer Evans, special agent-in-charge of the Las Vegas FBI office.
The Veterans Administration said 10% to 18% of U.S. troops who served in Afghanistan or Iraq are likely to have PTSD when they return home. They are also at risk for other mental health problems. Estimates of depression in returning troops range from as low as 3% to as high as 25%, VA officials said.
Gen. Azubuike said the Army is “fully committed” to assisting soldiers and employs many behavioral health specialists to help them.
“We encourage our soldiers if they need help — mental health treatment — or need to speak with someone, to seek proactive behavioral health treatment either on base or online,” she said. “They also have the option of talking to an Army chaplain. We are committed to supporting our soldiers in every possible way.”
• Mike Glenn can be reached at mglenn@washingtontimes.com.