Soldier Suicides at Record Level

[darkbeaver]

Iraq: Soldier Suicides at Record Level


Global Research, January 31, 2008
Washington Post

Soldier Suicides at Record Level
Increase Linked to Long Wars, Lack of Army Resources

[SIZE=-1]By Dana Priest
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, January 31, 2008; A01
[/SIZE]

Lt. Elizabeth Whiteside, a psychiatric outpatient at Walter Reed Army Medical Center who was waiting for the Army to decide whether to court-martial her for endangering another soldier and turning a gun on herself last year in Iraq, attempted to kill herself Monday evening. In so doing, the 25-year-old Army reservist joined a record number of soldiers who have committed or tried to commit suicide after serving in Iraq or Afghanistan.
"I'm very disappointed with the Army," Whiteside wrote in a note before swallowing dozens of antidepressants and other pills. "Hopefully this will help other soldiers." She was taken to the emergency room early Tuesday. Whiteside, who is now in stable physical condition, learned yesterday that the charges against her had been dismissed.
Whiteside's personal tragedy is part of an alarming phenomenon in the Army's ranks: Suicides among active-duty soldiers in 2007 reached their highest level since the Army began keeping such records in 1980, according to a draft internal study obtained by The Washington Post. Last year, 121 soldiers took their own lives, nearly 20 percent more than in 2006.
At the same time, the number of attempted suicides or self-inflicted injuries in the Army has jumped sixfold since the Iraq war began. Last year, about 2,100 soldiers injured themselves or attempted suicide, compared with about 350 in 2002, according to the U.S. Army Medical Command Suicide Prevention Action Plan.
The Army was unprepared for the high number of suicides and cases of post-traumatic stress disorder among its troops, as the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have continued far longer than anticipated. Many Army posts still do not offer enough individual counseling and some soldiers suffering psychological problems complain that they are stigmatized by commanders. Over the past year, four high-level commissi

 

[gopher]

Further proof of Bush's dismal failings.

 

[darkbeaver]

Further proof of Americas dismal failings.

 

[MikeyDB]

What difference does it make if a society declares it's young men and women as disposable commodities in the name of "prosperity" or whether the cannon fodder itself reaches that conclusion?

 

[darkbeaver]

Well it's because if they took care of the wounded they would feel the weight of the war more and possibly stop the warring sooner, this would save money, somebodys not doing a good cost benefit analysis. Furthermore if they were repaired on time they could be sent back into the conflict without the extra expence of training a new unit, this would result in a sixty-five percent overall efficiency improvement in both man power levels and cost. So from even a backyard perusal of the national situation we can see that capitalism is an extremely stupid way to do anything except steal wealth and phuck-up a country. If I was to set out to ruin a nation morally and financially I could do no better than to suggest capitalism, set it up and just walk away, a perfect self-replicating cancerous parasitic country killer.I think I can find some statistics to back that up.

 

[Zzarchov]

And yet...

The rate of suicides among soldiers who served in Iraq..is still lower than the rate of suicides among the general populace.

But I mean, if the article spouted such things it would be biased. Extremist sources hate the bias the truth holds.

 

[gopher]

Yeah, like suicide is no big deal, right?

 

[CDNBear]

Yeah, like suicide is no big deal, right?

Ya gopher...I can't believe he said that either.

Oh ya, he didn't.

 

[Avro]

Ya gopher...I can't believe he said that either.

Oh ya, he didn't.

No, what he did say is there is no problem by offering up a juicy red herring.

 

[CDNBear]

No, what he did say is there is no problem by offering up a juicy red herring.

Not at all.

Well maybe a tad. Nowhere in his post did he negate the issue, he offered a comparison. One I see as seemingly valid, but that is open to change if someone can provide something that is of valid information.

You can not hold anyone group up against another and try and exemplar a commonality or difference because of 'x'. I agree.

But, the extraordinary nature of what it is to be a Soldier in combat is hardly going to be free of its affects. Based on that paramount fact, it is safe to say that the corresponding figures in a non military group that does not face that same or concentrated levels, rigors and psychological trauma, ie: the civil population. Does bear some comparison. But that is just an opinion. You are free to disagree.

 

[Avro]

Not at all.

Well maybe a tad. Nowhere in his post did he negate the issue, he offered a comparison. One I see as seemingly valid, but that is open to change if someone can provide something that is of valid information.

You can not hold anyone group up against another and try and exemplar a commonality or difference because of 'x'. I agree.

But, the extraordinary nature of what it is to be a Soldier in combat is hardly going to be free of its affects. Based on that paramount fact, it is safe to say that the corresponding figures in a non military group that does not face that same or concentrated levels, rigors and psychological trauma, ie: the civil population. Does bear some comparison. But that is just an opinion. You are free to disagree.

The comparison is only valid if it's true.....is it true? I see no evidence provided for the validity of his comment.

Perhaps some peoples biases prevent them from seeking facts.

 

[CDNBear]

The comparison is only valid if it's true.....is it true? I see no evidence provided for the validity of his comment.

Perhaps some peoples biases prevent them from seeking facts.

It seems only logical that the population of the US is greater then the statistical number of personnel employed by and deployed by the US Armed Forces. So it is not statistically unwarranted to come to the conclusion that his facts are not erroneous.

But, by all means, if you feel that Z's facts, are infact in error, prove him, and I by extension, wrong.

 

[Tonington]

Zzarchov's statement is correct. The most recent American figures put the suicide rate at 11.05 suicides per 100,000, and with the current number of suicides reported in the article, it works out to 8.48 suicides per 100,000 for the military.

It's still troubling though that the suicide rate is on the rise. Comparing to civilian suicides just shows that military members successfully commit suicide less than civilians do. The story isn't how many are committing suicide, but the rate of increase.

 

[lone wolf]

Call it shell-shock, battle fatigue, flak-happy, traumatic stress syndrome - it all boils down to the same thing. In the heat of battle, if you haven't separated the human being from the warrior, you're going to die. The warrior does what has to be done - cold hard and factual. Then, the battle is ended. In the silence of post firefight, the human being slips into its relaxing body. Conscience takes over and tears speak "what have I done?"

Woof!

 

[Avro]

It seems only logical that the population of the US is greater then the statistical number of personnel employed by and deployed by the US Armed Forces. So it is not statistically unwarranted to come to the conclusion that his facts are not erroneous.

But, by all means, if you feel that Z's facts, are infact in error, prove him, and I by extension, wrong.

Well duh.

Of course the population of the entire U.S. is greater than thoses serving over seas. We are talking about percentages are we not and if we aren't don't you think that's kind of.....dumb?

I'm not going to prove something someone else says is true, to onus is on them to prove it.

 

[CDNBear]

Zzarchov's statement is correct. The most recent American figures put the suicide rate at 11.05 suicides per 100,000, and with the current number of suicides reported in the article, it works out to 8.48 suicides per 100,000 for the military.

It's still troubling though that the suicide rate is on the rise. Comparing to civilian suicides just shows that military members successfully commit suicide less than civilians do. The story isn't how many are committing suicide, but the rate of increase.

This is as sensational an anomaly as some would have you believe. Though it is tragic and should be addressed as strenuously as it is in civilian venues (Which are almost as sorely lacking), it is the nature of modern warfare that has created this and not the theater.

Call it shell-shock, battle fatigue, flak-happy, traumatic stress syndrome - it all boils down to the same thing. In the heat of battle, if you haven't separated the human being from the warrior, you're going to die. The warrior does what has to be done - cold hard and factual. Then, the battle is ended. In the silence of post firefight, the human being slips into its relaxing body. Conscience takes over and tears speak "what have I done?"

Woof!

Wow!

You get it.

It is in how one rationalizes the preceding act, that one can come to terms with it. Some do this this with greater ease then others. Not by being any less human, but by being more in control of their emotions. A task not as easy to accomplish as it is to type.

Some also handle this task with differing degrees of outcome.

 

[CDNBear]

Well duh.

Of course the population of the entire U.S. is greater than thoses serving over seas. We are talking about percentages are we not and if we aren't don't you think that's kind of.....dumb?

I'm not going to prove something someone else says is true, to onus is on them to prove it.

So they're guilty until they prove themselves innocent?

You work for the AHRC don't you?

 

[Avro]

So they're guilty until they prove themselves innocent?

You work for the AHRC don't you?

Nope, I am merely asking for proof of something that was said as a point in this thread.

Is asking questions wrong?

 

[CDNBear]

Nope, I am merely asking for proof of something that was said as a point in this thread.

Is asking questions wrong?

Not all, is agreeing with a point of logic that is easily attained with critical thought and a knowledge of the laws of statistics?

 

[Tonington]

This is as sensational an anomaly as some would have you believe. Though it is tragic and should be addressed as strenuously as it is in civilian venues (Which are almost as sorely lacking), it is the nature of modern warfare that has created this and not the theater.

I think it's probably an indication of the stresses the Americans are under. If it's modern warfare, can we expect similar numbers from the Van Doos, the PPCLI and the RCR in Afghanistan? I sure as hell hope not. The rotations in and out of Iraq and Afghanistan for the Americans seem to be added pressure.

Whatever the case, it's something that needs to be addressed. Any spike on a graph should be cause for examination.