Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, the suspect in last week's massacre at Fort Hood in Texas, was conscious and talking at a military hospital Monday while the Army probed whether it missed any signs that could have prevented the killings.

Lt. Gen. Robert Cone, Fort Hood's commander, told reporters he has ordered his officers to "immediately take a hard look and make sure if there's anybody out there struggling."

"Hasan was a soldier and we have other soldiers ... that might have some of the same stress and indicators that he has," Cone said. "We have to look across our entire formation, not just in a medical community but really look hard to our right and left. That's the responsibility for everybody from the top to the bottom to make sure we're taking care of our own."

It is true. As a responder and the Director of an organization with many responders both on staff and on our volunteer roster, post traumatic stress is a very real and dangerous issue. I received a phone call today from a close friend, a responder, who just this weekend was unfortunately at the scene of a horrible accident. I could hear in his voice the stress; I know the sound as I have had it in my voice many times.

After Katrina and Rita a lot of us came home with some kind of long-lasting traumatic issues and I can honestly not imagine what our soldiers go through.  I was glad to hear Lt. Cone’s statements today.

While I have very little kind emotions to shower on Major Hasan right now, Cone’s statements should ring true for not only Fort Hood, but all of us.  The holiday’s are a tough time for many people living normal lives, and the stress brought on by different disasters, military service, the economy, relationships and more can make people very fragile.

Perhaps we should all follow orders.  Take a look to your left and your right. Is there someone needing a hand or shoulder? Are the holidays going to be a rough time for someone you know? Are you close to someone that has recently returned from overseas?

All of this reminded me today of an old Petra song…don’t laugh. Yes, I mean the long haired Christian rock band!  I remember losing a friend to suicide just after Petra released a song called “For Annie”.  Thinking there may be a few of you out there that remembers the high pitched perfect vocals and harmonies of the greatest Christian rock band to ever step on a stage, I thought I’d bring back some memories for you and post the lyrics.

While you read, think about the orders of Fort Hood’s Commander…

No one ever noticed Annie weeping
People all around, but she was all alone
Mama's got her meetings, Daddy's got his job
and no one's got the time so Annie's on her own

No one ever knew her desperation
People couldn't hear her cry out silently
Locked inside the bathroom she grabs a jar of pills
The medicine that cures becomes the poison that kills

And it's too late for Annie, she's gone away for good
There's so much we could tell her and now we wish we could
But it's too late, it's too late for Annie

Sadness fills the hearts of Annie's family
Daddy tries to comfort Mama uselessly
They hoped she knew they loved her, but they really didn't know
They just want to know why did their baby go

And it's too late for Annie, she's gone away for good
There's so much we could tell her and now we wish we could
We would tell her Jesus loves her, tell her Jesus cares
Tell her He can free her and her burdens bear
But it's too late, it's too late for Annie

If only we had known her situation,
We'd have tried to stop this useless tragedy
Annie's lost forever, never to be found
But there are lots of others like her all around

And it's not too late for Annie, she could be next to you
Don't miss the chance to tell her before her life is through
We gotta tell her Jesus loves her, tell her Jesus cares
Tell her He can free her and her burdens bear
Tell her Jesus loves her, tell her Jesus cares
Tell her He can free her and her burdens bear
You've got to tell her Jesus loves her, tell her Jesus cares
Tell her He can free her and her burdens bear
It's not too late