Suicide soars among US soldiers
As the US government throws its weight about the globe, hundreds of thousands of men, women and children fall before Uncle Sam's swinging scythe.
But, those at the cutting edge of the scythe are falling too, often by their own hands, in the inescapable confines of their homes or quarters in the barracks back on the US soil.
In 2008, 143 soldiers committed suicide, the highest number in the three decades that the army has kept records, reports Washington Post.
But, with months still to go till the new year and 141 suicides since January, that figure has almost been reached, with no sign of a slow-down in self-destructive drives of the US soldiers.
The US military, thus, faces a difficult challenge.
Complete news check on this link http://presstv.com/detail.aspx?id=103797§ionid=3510203
I think Abu hit the nail on the head.
worldpeace.....................
suicidal intentions shows the personality of a person. If you are strong, this option is out of the question.
Bring out the stress in some other way, i just saw some interesting threads on how to release stress.hehehe.
talk about it with a trusted friend or to a psychologist.
Yes I did se active duty in a war zone..
You are taking what i said personally and out of context.
i have great respect and admiration for American soldiers. Some are still friends. If you read my earlier post, i still believe that the USA and Israel are the top two for taking care of their soldiers. When I said American soldiers are pampered, I was talking from experience. The American soldiers always had better equipment, better support and much superior facilities than us.
When i said that some join up thinking it will be a cushy number , I am talking aout both ritish and American forces. I met some soldiers from the USA who joined up as MPs and never thought they would b sent to war zone. I also know a ex Bitish soldier who was in the Signal corps on a desk job in Germany and never thougt he would be posted to Iraq.
I hope that clears up any misunderstanding.
Did you see active duty in a war zone?
I'll take your word for working with US soldiers; but can't help but wonder what they would think of your attitude towards them.
I didn't drink the kool-aid! -- PM
For a start I said "some".
Secondly , I was in the Military and thirdly I have worked for a few years with US soldiers .
and it is saddening. It's also not so hard to believe with attitudes like those expressed in this thread (e.g., britexpat).
I didn't drink the kool-aid! -- PM
"they want a cushy number or are unfit for other jobs"
First, the military NEVER indicates you will have a "cushy job". For God's sake! Look at Basic Training!
Secondly, while there are some unfit people who join up or get recruited, they are in the vast minority. Since spending some time on a few bases in the past 8 years, I have really changed my attitude about them. I used to think like you, when I didn't really have any actual experience or contact with the military.
I didn't drink the kool-aid! -- PM
Did we try and find out the truth behind the news?
Source:
- A study Conducted by FriedUnicorn - Vol I (September,1999)
It's the politicians that play unfair, not neccessarily the military.
There is also the aspect that some join the military because they want a cushy number or are unfit for other jobs. Once deployed to hotspots , they can't handle it.
I recall meeting a "logistics expert" (Warehouseman) who thought that he would never have to leave his home base and wa shocked when he was sentto the Middle East.
the service providers which may refer to companies like... (those 3-letter initials of the company which i rather restrain myself to mention) and the mercenariers refers to the private armies.
Glitterfy.com - Glitter Graphics
yeah, PTS syndrome. People who cant cope up will probably comit suicide... poor men
and regular military. You do them a great disservice in what you have written and I hope you never have a loved one who has to go to war.
I didn't drink the kool-aid! -- PM
cos they are human i respect their decession this may be due to humaterain conscious arousal from what they are doing to civilain
... errr hired by the US to fight for their motherland. Is this something to show off as a sign of supremacy among the rest? Like... "i can buy someone to kill you" thing? How much I want to fit in the issue of American patriotism on this context but i cant see clearly.
And another issue.... financial desparation among mercenaries risking lives for the family back home. Too costly a job for the loved ones. I can only see the real heroism on these noble soul for their family.
Sadly, this is the domino effect of capitalism, abused democracy and hunger for supremacy.
Glitterfy.com - Glitter Graphics
They might be pampered, but they are also forced to do things other soldiers aren't and in places others aren't made to go.
from Reserves and the National Guard -- which is almost never the case. I know NG recruits before 9/11 who never dreamed they would be overseas fighting a war. I also know soldiers who got out of the Army and re-upped with NG when the law placed limits on the number and lengths of deployment and it meant they couldn't be deployed again for 5 years -- only to have the law change.
Ultimately, those men and women in the military are trying to do what they think is right. Even if we don't agree with the war in Iraq that still shouldn't mean we don't care about what happens to them and don't have some responsibilities towards them.
I didn't drink the kool-aid! -- PM
I agree with you. However, having worked on a base with American, British, French, Egyptian and Congolese soldiers, I can tell you that American soldiers are pampered in comparison to others.
Brit, I don't think people do know what they are getting into. The recruiters sell it like you're signing up for WWII and to help your country and protect people. When the reality is torturing people and murdering innocents.
Yep! A pack of moist ciggies and a local lass to keep you warm...
Those were the days :)
There are two sides:
Firstly, soldiers join up knowing that they will be deployed wherever and whenever at the whim of their leaders. they also know the dangers that await them.
Secondly, the governments should and must provide proper support mechanisms to help these soldiers through the deployments. If this means constant counseling or shorter tours of duty, then it has to be done.
Gotta agree with PM Brit, just because we pay them doesn't mean we get to turn them into murderers and look the other way when they need help. I've seen friends of mine turn into weeping, twitching wrecks at the idea of going to Iraq and having to fight in an illegal war and kill innocent people. That's not fair.
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.
For the second year in a row, suicides among active duty US Army soldiers hit a record high in 2008, surpassing the national suicide rate as military officials acknowledged that the stress of war was taking its toll.
http://www.france24.com/en/20090130-army-suicide-rates-hit-record-high-usa-war-stress-combat
AFP - Suicides among active duty soldiers hit a record high last year for the second year in a row, the US Army reported Thursday, acknowledging that stress on the war-time force was a major factor.
The number of soldiers who took their lives in 2008 rose to as many as 143 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," said Lieutenant Michelle Martin-Hing, adding that on average "90 percent of unconfirmed go on to be confirmed."
The total has climbed in each of the past four years as the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have intensified, according to the army.
"Why do the numbers continue to go up?" asked Army Secretary Pete Geren. "We do not know."
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 Thursday found that 30 percent 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 percent had never been deployed before; another 35 percent 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.
But officials indicated it was unclear how well they were working.
Chiarelli announced that units throughout the army will undergo special training sessions beginning February 15 to teach soldiers what to do if they see behaviors in themselves or their friends that could lead to suicide.
It also has enlisted the National Institute of Mental Health to do a long-study of factors affecting soldiers' mental health, and identify ways to decrease the incidence of suicides.
I didn't drink the kool-aid! -- PM
Brit, and a Pack of Ciggies..
-----------------
HE WHO DARES WINS
support they need. Way to go, brit!
I didn't drink the kool-aid! -- PM
If that's the case then they're wussies..
Back in our day, we didn't have R&R. We used to be knee deep in mud, trenches full of snakes and scorpions, shells raining down, with only Vera Lynn recordings to keep us goiug...
appropriate R&R that are causing PTSD and raising the suicide rate.
I didn't drink the kool-aid! -- PM
soldiers in the US military. Even so, having been to several of the bases where soldiers are on R&R or training for Iraq/Afghanistan I can assure you that the overwhelming majority of deployed soldiers are white Americans. There is a very small percentage of Asians deployed.
But why does that matter to you?
I didn't drink the kool-aid! -- PM
The quality comes from training ....
I agree about the long tours of duty, but that's what soldiers are paid for ..
However, in Iraq and afghanistan we have many reservists or "part time" soldiers being deployed..
You're right, Brit. That's why they send mercinaries to battlefields.
Has anyone noticed that many of the American soldiers in Iraq are of Asian and African origins?
It is about their treatment. They are deployed too often without ample rest between deployments. Furthermore there are not many good psychological support services available to them, and there is a huge taboo about seeking them out. They need serious re-education regarding the stresses of service and PTSD -- from the top down -- and make those services not only available but REQUIRED. Furthermore, they need to relieve the strain of such lengthy and frequent deployments.
I have very close family members who have served in Iraq, Afghanistan and GITMO and know that this is not an issue of the "quality" of soldiers, but their training and treatment.
I didn't drink the kool-aid! -- PM
IMHO, There are two countries in the world which realy care about their soldiers - Israel and America.
Perhaps the issue here is the "quality" of the soldiers being sent to battlefield situations.
Actually its a good way to weed off unreliable and weak at heart soldiers.
The best part is the US millitary is now recruiting foreigners- thats the biggest joke I've heard so far... the deal is you join US military we give u citizenship... i guess recrutment is not as easy as it was before, its getting harder to fool people with the patriotism crap now.
"Ali Baba and 40 thieves" are now "Ali Baba and 30 thieves" ; 10 were laid off.
I agree with gypsy. It's pathetic. I'd like to see all these politicians sons/daughters out fighting & I bet they would be quick to change their opinion on the war
More soldiers killed themselves following the Vietnam war then died fighting it. Sad fact is that the US doesn't care anymore about its soldiers then the people they are killing.
i forgot it! i must have placed it in the best 5 movies!
not that i believe supernatural phenomenae but i did copy the dvd!! because i liked it! hehehe
how many soldiers are in duty, to see if the number is way more than the national percentage. do the 140 include reservists and veteran with post traumatic syndrome...?
personaly i do not tend to see it as a soaring statistic. 140 over 500.000 soldiers is less than 1 per 3000.
Oh, people can come up with statistics to prove anything, Kent. 14% of people know that.
One problem is that young men and in many cases reservists are being thrown into stressful battlefield situations finding themselves unable to cope :(
How is it scary? lmao
And dont say I look like the girl from the ring people used to tell me that all the time. :(
your avatar is scary:(you look like the zombie in the ring....
I thing you reach them faster than me. ha ha ha not joke?
Well men seem to leave me for the army lmao. Of course I voodoo them :P
what did you do to those soldiers?it seems you voodoo them...he he he!joke:?:)
Is it really surprising...