US soldier suicides hit record high

US soldier suicides hit record high

www.abc.net.au

The number of soldiers who took their own lives in 2008 rose to as many as 143, up from 115 the previous year, the army said.

Among the deaths, 128 have been "confirmed suicides and 15 are still being investigated for a determination," Lieutenant Michelle Martin-Hing said.

On average "90 per cent of unconfirmed go on to be confirmed," she said.

The total has climbed in each of the past four years as the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have intensified, according to the army.

Army officials said no single factor explained the increased incidence of suicides.

But General Peter Chiarelli, vice chief of the army, tied the rise to the lengthened combat deployments and high tempo of operations that have strained soldiers and their families.

"There is no doubt in my mind that stress is a factor in the trend we are seeing," he said.

Army statistics released on Thursday (local time) found that 30 per cent of those who committed suicide last year were deployed at the time of their death, and of those more than three-quarters were on their first deployment.

About 35 per cent had never been deployed before, another 35 per cent killed themselves after being deployed, in most cases more than a year after returning to their home bases.

Last year's suicide rate among active duty soldiers rose to 20.2 per 100,000, surpassing a demographically adjusted national suicide rate of 19.5 per 100,000 in 2005, the latest year on record.

The army has responded to the growing problem with more suicide prevention programs, efforts to screen soldiers for mental health problems, and campaigns to reduce the stigma that prevents soldiers from seeking treatment.

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Going on war in Afghanistan or Iraq is certainly not easy and especially when the reason used to fight them were not entirely credible. The army should understand that the problem is not mental but it is the war itself. Why fight for a war you don't believe in. If they think it is a mental problem then Bush should be held accountable for causing moral hazard.

www.abc.net.au
(visit the link for the full news article)

My heart goes out to these guys and their families. I think suicide is a horribly greedy thing but I can't say that the same standart necesarily applies to these soldiers. It is sad because I have several school friends in the military now.

Do you have any statistics on whether these suicide rates are higher or lower, proportionally speaking, than other wars?

Gee I wonder why?

Maybe realizing that they are all fighting a war that is completely wrong, and draining America, they just couldn't live with themselves anymore.

I still don't get why people join, knowing that heir gonna go fight an illegal war.

But General Peter Chiarelli, vice chief of the army, tied the rise to the lengthened combat deployments and high tempo of operations that have strained soldiers and their families.

There is no doubt in my mind that stress is a factor in the trend we are seeing

Whoa, ya think....
War and Combat is stressful...what a concept; it's like this a new thing?
Who are these people? Didn't they learn anything from Nam.

[edit on 29-1-2009 by whaaa]

I posted this earlier today and it didn't receive a single comment.