As wars drag on, suicides among U.S. soldiers set new peak

Praxius

Mass'Debater
Dec 18, 2007
10,609
99
48
Halifax, NS & Melbourne, VIC


As wars drag on, suicides among U.S. soldiers set new peak

Suicide among American soldiers increased again last year and is at a nearly three-decade high, senior U.S. defence officials told the Associated Press on Thursday.

At least 128 soldiers killed themselves in 2008, said two officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the data has not been formally released.

The final count likely will be considerably higher because more than a dozen other suspicious deaths are still being investigated and could also turn out to be self-inflicted.

The new figure of more than 128 compares to 115 in 2007 and 102 in 2006 and is the highest since record-keeping began in 1980.

It also calculates to a rate of 20.2 per 100,000 soldiers, which is higher than the adjusted civilian rate for the first time since the Vietnam War, officials said.

The U.S. army planned to announce the figures at a news conference later Thursday.

Officials have said repeatedly that troops are under tremendous and unprecedented stress because of repeated and long tours of duty because of the simultaneous wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Yearly increases in suicides have been recorded since 2004, when there were 64, about half the number now. And they've occurred despite increased training, prevention programs, increased psychiatric staff and other army efforts to stem the rise.

Officials are expected to announce additional attempts to help soldiers at the news conference.

When studying individual cases, officials said they found that the most common factors for suicides were soldiers suffering problems with their personal relationships, legal or financial issues and problems on the job.

The new army report follows one earlier this month showing that the marine corps recorded more suicides last year than any year since the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in March 2003.

That report said 41 marines were possible or confirmed suicides in 2008, or 16.8 per 100,000 troops. The marine rate remained unchanged because the corps is increasing in size, officials said.

Ground forces bear brunt of wars against insurgents

Soldiers and marines have borne the burden of the two wars, which have required more use of ground forces to fight the insurgencies. But the numbers kept by the services only show part of the picture because they do not cover troops who have returned to civilian life.

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs tracks the number of suicides among those who have left the military. The VA said there were 144 suicides among the nearly 500,000 service members who left the military from 2002 to 2005 after fighting in at least one of the wars.

The true incidence of suicide among veterans is not known, according to a report last year by the Congressional Research Service. Based on numbers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the VA estimates that 18 veterans a day, or 6,500 a year, take their own lives, but that number includes vets from all previous wars.

In October, the U.S. army and the National Institute of Mental Health announced a five-year, $50-million US research program into the factors behind soldier suicides and how to prevent them.

Not good.... not good at all. I wonder if factors such as believing in what you are fighting for can play a role in this. (Not just these wars, but any war in general)
 

dancing-loon

House Member
Oct 8, 2007
2,739
36
48


As wars drag on, suicides among U.S. soldiers set new peak



Not good.... not good at all. I wonder if factors such as believing in what you are fighting for can play a role in this. (Not just these wars, but any war in general)
Definitely!! They go with high hopes, pumped up and ready to fight the devil, but then gradually dawns the reality and the illegality of this war.

And in a round-about way Canada might even contribute to this sadness by refusing to grant deserters asylum and a safe haven. There really is no way out for them once they said yes. I feel very sympathetic towards them and wish I could help those desperate souls.

There is for sure also the factor of drugs. Drugs screw you up and around, often causing depression instead of alleviating it. All fighting soldiers are given drugs, that is a known fact.

Certainly, some went into the military to escape whatever problems they might have had back home.

Let's hope this study will shed some light on this human tragedy.
 

Praxius

Mass'Debater
Dec 18, 2007
10,609
99
48
Halifax, NS & Melbourne, VIC
True enough.... perhaps the only real solution available is to make sure the decisions to goto war are strictly reviewed, re-reviewed and reviewed again to make sure their sacrafices are not made in vain, during or after the conflict.

The reasons must be just and believed to be needed by a lot of the population and the troops themselves, not just the politicians who simply send them off.

Going off to war halfway around the world and having to kill people isn't a simple decision for most, and if they feel they're doing these things for no worthy cause or they don't believe in the cause, then that's a hefty burden to carry with you for the rest of your life, for as long as it is anyways...... lots of guilt can fill the mind in these cases...... and a lot of guilt or emptyness easily leads to depression, depression leads you further down the guilt and emptyness road and then you'r stuck on a vicious cycle until you get help or you do something else about it.

imo.
 

EagleSmack

Hall of Fame Member
Feb 16, 2005
44,168
95
48
USA
Definitely!! They go with high hopes, pumped up and ready to fight the devil, but then gradually dawns the reality and the illegality of this war.

I am sure you have data to back up the reasons of their suicides or are you just using the increase in suicides to shout from your soap box

And in a round-about way Canada might even contribute to this sadness by refusing to grant deserters asylum and a safe haven. There really is no way out for them once they said yes. I feel very sympathetic towards them and wish I could help those desperate souls.

Come now. Canada's refusal to give asylum has no bearing.

There is for sure also the factor of drugs. Drugs screw you up and around, often causing depression instead of alleviating it. All fighting soldiers are given drugs, that is a known fact.

Such garbage. We were never given drugs. What kind of drugs are they given and where have you found it is a "known fact".

Certainly, some went into the military to escape whatever problems they might have had back home.

Let's hope this study will shed some light on this human tragedy.

But it looks like you have taken advantage of the data to promote your agenda.
 

Zzarchov

House Member
Aug 28, 2006
4,600
100
63
Side note:

If you really wanna look at this:


Suicide Rates were lower than the Civilian population until they were told they were leaving Iraq :p

Funny thing about statistics, far more fun than the other two types of lies.
 

karrie

OogedyBoogedy
Jan 6, 2007
27,780
285
83
bliss
When's the last time that soldiers were away at war AND losing their homes once they get back? It's a nasty convergence of events that the economy has hit the toilet and they're away. That's a lot more pressure than soldiers usually need to deal with I'm sure. Sad.
 

Avro

Time Out
Feb 12, 2007
7,815
65
48
54
Oshawa
I am sure you have data to back up the reasons of their suicides or are you just using the increase in suicides to shout from your soap box



Come now. Canada's refusal to give asylum has no bearing.



Such garbage. We were never given drugs. What kind of drugs are they given and where have you found it is a "known fact".



But it looks like you have taken advantage of the data to promote your agenda.

American soldiers are killing themselves because they a bunch of pussies.
 

dancing-loon

House Member
Oct 8, 2007
2,739
36
48
Side note:

If you really wanna look at this:


Suicide Rates were lower than the Civilian population until they were told they were leaving Iraq :p

Funny thing about statistics, far more fun than the other two types of lies.
Zzarchov...look out!
 

dancing-loon

House Member
Oct 8, 2007
2,739
36
48
I am sure you have data to back up the reasons of their suicides or are you just using the increase in suicides to shout from your soap box



Come now. Canada's refusal to give asylum has no bearing.



Such garbage. We were never given drugs. What kind of drugs are they given and where have you found it is a "known fact".



But it looks like you have taken advantage of the data to promote your agenda.
Eagle... you may follow Zzarchov...
 

Praxius

Mass'Debater
Dec 18, 2007
10,609
99
48
Halifax, NS & Melbourne, VIC
So... killing people wasn't as much fun as they thought it would be.

Simetimes no.... some just don't scream the way you expect and it just makes you not want to waste a round so you clog them in the skull with your weapon, but then you gotta scoop the brains off your gun and clean the damn thing..... just work work work all the time, it sucks..... why can't these people just die on their own? Jeez. :roll: