The US soldier suicide rate (is absurdly high)...

[Nick]

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/w ... 873622.ece

More American military veterans have been committing suicide than US soldiers have been dying in Iraq, it was claimed yesterday.

At least 6,256 US veterans took their lives in 2005, at an average of 17 a day, according to figures broadcast last night. Former servicemen are more than twice as likely than the rest of the population to commit suicide.

Such statistics compare to the total of 3,863 American military deaths in Iraq since the invasion in 2003 - an average of 2.4 a day, according to the website ICasualties.org.

The rate of suicides among veterans prompted claims that the US was suffering from a “mental health epidemic” – often linked to post-traumatic stress.

Now imagine if that number was multiplied by a hundred and you have the numbers of people that the US army has killed in the last couple of years!

It's "bad for business" to report on Army suicides, because it detracts from the heroic stars and stipes dreamlike aura surrounding the military, but really, aren't there some forms of counselling or care given to these people when they return from the battlefield?

It's probably not uncommon for lots of soldiers to kill themselves after returning from duty, but the numbers here are pretty ridiculous. I wonder if it was worth it.

Unfortunately it would never be possible to truly care for all veterans, given the nature of reality, but you would think there would be more care given to troops as there appears to be, especially given the whole fervour of the flag waving "support the troops" thing thats become so fashionable these days in the US.

The article makes reference to Walter Reed, which is really the tip of the iceberg. Is there any intention whatsoever to improve things on a noticeably useful scale, or do these guys count as collateral damage as well?

[Truant]

There was a program on last week (i'm sorry I don't remember which one, it was an evening news show I think) that said that 1 in 4 homeless in USA are veterans.

That number blew me away, but probably shouldn't have. I have an uncle who is a vietnam vet and was homeless until recently.

[Aabidano]

I wonder how those numbers stack up as compared to previous suicide rates, I know it's always been much higher than the civilian world. It's a shitty, high stress job in the best of times. Not that I knew that when I was in.

I know lots of people get out of the military with no skills that will get them a job in the real world. Using my neighbor in Pensacola for an example, attaching bombs to airplanes isn't a skill too many can carry over into civilian life. Don't know where he ended up but he was hurting when I left there. Prior to the drawdown he'd have been OK as he could have gotten a Govt job someplace.

My old job (PMEL) carried over but until ISO certification became important there were limited, but decently paid opportunities. There's a shortage in the field now, with the military downsizing there isn't a pipeline putting out trained people anymore.

[Midnyte_Ragebringer]

Makes sense. These young men actually have horrible images to haunt them, as opposed to emo kids who off themselves thinking they have something to be sad about. This is probably a trend in wartime or post war time eras.

[VariaVespasa]

I wonder how those numbers stack up as compared to previous suicide rates, I know it's always been much higher than the civilian world.

Saw a thing on military suicides just a few days ago. They said there had been about 2200 suicides over the past 12 years, with 188 last year. Thats active personell, rather than vets. 188 is close enough to 1/12th of 2200 that it would be hard to call it any kind of serious spike in the suicide rate, so it doesnt look like the Iraq war is making much difference so far.

[Boogahz]

It's "bad for business" to report on Army suicides, because it detracts from the heroic stars and stipes dreamlike aura surrounding the military, but really, aren't there some forms of counselling or care given to these people when they return from the battlefield?

It's probably not uncommon for lots of soldiers to kill themselves after returning from duty, but the numbers here are pretty ridiculous. I wonder if it was worth it.

Unfortunately it would never be possible to truly care for all veterans, given the nature of reality, but you would think there would be more care given to troops as there appears to be, especially given the whole fervour of the flag waving "support the troops" thing thats become so fashionable these days in the US.

The article makes reference to Walter Reed, which is really the tip of the iceberg. Is there any intention whatsoever to improve things on a noticeably useful scale, or do these guys count as collateral damage as well?

It is talked about. It is also normal. Normal doesn't make it a good thing, but it is also not a new thing tied to Iraq as it is being painted. Yes, more care needs to be given, but before that can happen, they need to actually recognize the disorder and the negative effects that come with it. This mental strain has probably always been frowned upon in militaries throughout history.

From people I have talked to in the past, the structure of the military actually helps to keep those "bad thoughts" in line. Generally it is once the person returns to a more peaceful situation that they start to "lose it." That structure in a stressful situation held them together, and they forget, or just finally have to learn, how to cope with their experiences when there is not anyone to fight back at. People coming back now have to go through a period of readjustment to civilian life before they actually "come home." This is supposed to help reacclimatize the people to "normal" life. This was not always the case though. The stigma attached to people who mentioned the feelings in the past was bad enough that it is not talked about now. Sure, they will ask the soldiers how they feel, but the answers will be based on what the doctors/officers want to hear many times.

[Morgrym]

Per capita, the Military has less suicides than civilians. It's just another typical media spin to get all the tree huggers to cry and pray to mother gia.