The number of U.S. service members who committed suicide last year might be a record.
Despite extensive support and counseling programs, as many as 349 U.S. service members committed suicide last year, which would be the highest number since the Department of Defense began keeping detailed statistics in 2001.
According to the Pentagon, 239 military deaths in 2012 have been confirmed as suicides and another 110 are being investigated as probable suicides. The number of suicides in 2011 reached 301.
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Good morning all.
Yet another worrisome facet of legacy of wars waged & prosecuted without thought,cause or exit strategy.
The military suicide rate has always been significantly higher than the civilian rate. Even in times of peace. Don't blame the war.
comments being blocked.
If I knew what they knew, I'd probably kill myself too. Ignorance can be bliss.
That sounds like weakness. Do something correct the wrong and not end your life. They should let time heal and seek good counseling. Ending ones life is not the answer.
And all the war mongers and their supporters couldn't care less.
Oh and I forgot to mention "Washington D.C.".
Oh and the South let's not forget about them wonderful folks.
Yes @Mr.Dalloway they couldn't care less. But we the people do and that could if we want, make them come around.
No "the People" really don't otherwise it won't continue to happen, goodbye now
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This is truly a sad statistic! YET, what do we expect when we send our magnificent military all over the world with multiple tours! RAMBO is fiction and, WAR, the real thing, will dehumanize, traumatize, a change a persons life forever!
A deployment should me limited to 9 or 10 months and each soldier's tour should be determined on an individual basis depending on each MOS. The higher the MOS's with possabilities for PTSD the fewer the tours. The DOD and other commitees say that they care and are concerned for our soldiers,but show and do little to head PTSD off at the pass. Yes, everyone is prone to such a horrible disorder,but, the depth of it could be alot less truamatic...too the point of suicide. Just think of all of the soldiers who have mental healtrh issues that aren't reported.
Sure, the DOD is concerned now because the damage is already done and "heck yeah! if a soldier wants to do 3,4,5 tours 12 and 14 months at a time,by all means!" You can't really tell me that the DOD didn't see the slightest potential of problems here!!!??? It's no secret that with all of the issues and problems that the House Armed Services Commitee and the Dept. of Defense has that do not have the slightest clue and do alot of "shoot from the hip" bubble gum and shoe string management. God bless our troops, God bless America.... Shame on our defense leaders!!!
The sad reality is we don't have the man power to follow strict guidelines to protect our service members. Since it is such a small portion of our population that serves they end up being constantly deployed back over to such a hell hole not really even knowing what we are fighting for anymore. Most of us don't even know what we are fighting for anymore. Osama is dead, there was no WMDs, and we have been there for 12 years.
Sadly, there is nothing the military will do for veterans' families who are victims of suicide either! I lost my husband four years ago to suicide ... he was a young veteran for the ARMY and just started law school after serving for 6 years. He left myself and two young children. The only support I received was a minuscule check to cover burial/cremation costs (which was really only about 1/8 of the true costs). Since the VA determined his cause of death was not "service related"... I could argue that to my own grave, my children and I did not receive any further help from the VA. I never wanted a handout, just some relief and affirmation that his service was appreciated!!!
FYI, sadly they rarley report that 40% of the militaries suicide rate are of soldier's that have never been deployed. Whether these Soldier's have been deployed or not, When is the Military gonna step up & help them & their families ???
that's too many. they need to stop these wars. end the federal reserve. reduce dependence on oil. cut military industrial complex funding.
It's because the VA hires counselors that are not qualified to help people. I go to one that is useless. She is a nervous wreck and is not capable of relating to me. Same with the Drs. they hire. Here they hire ones that have been fired from other government agencies and think they are going to give a vet better care? Yeah right
FYI, the military suicide (13 per 100,000) is not siginificantly different than the US citizen suicide rate (12 per 100,000). Using the "high" number of military suicides presented in this article to rail against senseless wars, VA staff, and other military services is not justified by the data. Apply your political leanings in another forum.
Agree, also the military is about 80% male which has a suicide rate four times the female rate.That makes the military suicide rate actually lower than the civilian rate if you account for the demographics. Another story generated by a dubious news writer trying to project their agenda.
did they use guns?