The survivor: Soldier overcomes battle with suicide

"Chelsea Porterfield sang the ABCs softly as she rocked her 2 year old to sleep. In the quiet solitude of her son’s bedroom, her mind drifted and fixated on her husband’s .45 caliber pistol.

In November 2018, the sergeant first class thought about suicide for the first time.

Since she had accepted an assignment to serve as a platoon sergeant in the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard), Chelsea struggled to strike a balance of time for duty and family."

"It has been more than two years since Porterfield left the mental health treatment facility at Fort Belvoir."

"In September 2019, Porterfield became the first woman to lead a marching element onto Arlington, and in the spring became the 38th Sergeant of the Guard (5th female)."