Fort Hood 13: Capt. Russell Seager

(Taken from www.jsonline.com)Russell Seager of Mount Pleasant was described as a "quiet helper" who joined the military about four years ago at the age of 47.

Seager, one of two soldiers from Wisconsin killed at Fort Hood, Texas, on Thursday, was licensed as a registered nurse and advanced practice nurse prescriber. He worked at Zablocki Veterans Affairs Medical Center, said his uncle Larry Seager, and was a primary caregiver who provided mental health services to patients.

He had taught classes at Bryant & Stratton College in Milwaukee since 2005 and was pursuing a doctorate in education. "I don't think he missed a year of school since he was 18," Larry Seager said. "He just had to keep learning."

Larry Seager, who lives in Mauston, said he was surprised when he learned his nephew had joined the military, but that working with soldiers fit with his personality.

A profile of Seager produced by WUWM-FM in August says he led a mental health team at the VA and served patients ranging from 20-year-olds just back from Iraq and Afghanistan to veterans in their 80s and 90s.

The profile says he had a doctorate in alternative medicine and was part of a combat stress control unit, tasked with watching for warning signs among soldiers on the front lines - things such as anger and insubordination - which could signal long-term problems.

"I've always had a great deal of respect for the military and for service, and I just felt it was time that I stepped up and did it, actually," he said in the radio station's profile. "I mean, it sounds corny and patriotic, but when you talk to people that decide to do this, the feelings are similar."

Family members at his home on a quiet cul de sac in Mount Pleasant said they didn't want to talk to the media, but neighbors described him as a quiet but friendly man who was often seen walking in the neighborhood with his wife.

"He was real excited when he joined the military," said Tom Casper, who lives across from the family. Seager sometimes wore his uniform when walking to the corner to pick up his mail, said Casper, and "you could tell by his gait that he was proud."

But he and others said Seager and his wife kept pretty much to themselves. A friendly " 'Hi' was about all you got," said next-door neighbor Bruce Luccas, who said he was shocked at the news of Seager's death.

Said neighbor Russ Solberg: "My heart goes out to that family."

And neighbor Gil Mann said "It says a lot for what he thought of this country."