On Duty Soldiers' Suicide Rate Skyrocketing.

[Deluge Of Sound]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...nav=rss_nation

Thoughts? I'm not military, so I really can't say what this means, if anything. Anyone with some military experience or degree in armchair psychology care to enlighten me as to why its still going up?

The article says "failed relationships, legal and financial troubles, and the high stress of wartime operations in Iraq and Afghanistan are the leading factors linked to the suicides," but I don't see how those factors have changed at all in the past five years...

[FL Knifemaker]

I don't think the stats changed since the last 3 times this topic has been posted here.

[bobba66]

It just make the press feel good to drag the military through the mud any chance they get.

[Relic]

Originally Posted by Deluge Of Sound

The article says "failed relationships, legal and financial troubles, and the high stress of wartime operations in Iraq and Afghanistan are the leading factors linked to the suicides," but I don't see how those factors have changed at all in the past five years...

The change as I see it is "time", it's been a few years now.
Things that may have started out as managable problems for some of these folks may have simply grown out of control and drove some into despair over the course of repeated or prolonged deployments.

[Chriss62]

More Pay.


More pay fixes everything.

Twice as much, at least.

[Pilgrim]

Keep extending duty periods overseas in a war zone (which HAS been done), and keep sending soldiers back to that war zone, and this is one of the predictable outcomes.

I suspect we didn't keep stats on such outcomes after WWII or Korea, and probably not in Vietnam either. Having lived through the Vietnam era, I don't recall it being a subject of national discussion.

[Andrew.Glose]

Originally Posted by FL Knifemaker

It didn't take long for this thread to go political

The fact that we get to look at your avatar every time you post may have something to do with it. You can't honestly expect someone to not say anything.

Not butting heads, just making conversation.

[FL Knifemaker]

Originally Posted by Andrew.Glose

The fact that we get to look at your avatar every time you post may have something to do with it. You can't honestly expect someone to not say anything.

Not butting heads, just making conversation.

I don't see the connection, sorry

[Deluge Of Sound]

Eh, the political stuff is all in fun. He sniped at me for posting something that had been posted before, I sniped at him for his "misguided" political leanings , it's give and take.

I'm just curious to know why this involvement in particular seems to have driven more soldiers to suicide.

[bradjonesbass]

has it? or are we just keeping better track of this now? or is the Washington Press just trying to press the anti-war point a little harder?

[Deluge Of Sound]

Originally Posted by bradjonesbass

has it? or are we just keeping better track of this now? or is the Washington Press just trying to press the anti-war point a little harder?

"Suicides among active-duty soldiers this year are on pace to exceed both last year's all-time record and, for the first time since the Vietnam War, the rate among the general U.S. population, Army officials said yesterday."

Not a whole lot of bias in that opening line, regardless of your political stance. And it's the Washington Post, not the Washington Press.


As far as keeping better track of it now, I'm sure we are, but I wouldn't know... I've never been in the military.

[Pacman]

Originally Posted by bobba66

It just make the press feel good to drag the military through the mud any chance they get.

Being in the military for over 20 years now, I don't see this as dragging the military through the mud. It looks like an attempt to raise concern over a very serious problem. Perhaps to start discussions on a way to help it.

[FL Knifemaker]

Originally Posted by Pacman

Being in the military for over 20 years now, I don't see this as dragging the military through the mud. It looks like an attempt to raise concern over a very serious problem. Perhaps to start discussions on a way to help it.

Very true but IMHO, the only reason it's brought up here multiple times is purely political.

[Pacman]

I'm not addressing the reason it's been discussed here, just the idea that it's dragging the .mil through the mud.

[Deluge Of Sound]

Originally Posted by FL Knifemaker

Very true but IMHO, the only reason it's brought up here multiple times is purely political.

I have to object--politics were brought into this through one of my offhand comments (which has since been deleted, probably for the better)--the issue itself is apolitical.

[Chris Fitzgerald]

Originally Posted by Pacman

I don't see this as dragging the military through the mud. It looks like an attempt to raise concern over a very serious problem. Perhaps to start discussions on a way to help it.

+1

If there's a problem, awareness of the problem usually preceeds action to correct it. I don't see how discussion is a bad thing. I have several family members and quite a few ex-students in the military right now. I have no desire to drag any of them through the mud, but I also want to try to better understand what being in their position can do to a person. Regardless of whatever anyone may feel about the circumstances of their deployment, these people are out there with their minds, souls and ***es in harm's way on a regular basis. That's gotta be a bit more depressing than working a day gig back home.

[Thunderscreech]

Originally Posted by Deluge Of Sound

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...nav=rss_nation

Thoughts? I'm not military, so I really can't say what this means, if anything. Anyone with some military experience or degree in armchair psychology care to enlighten me as to why its still going up?

The article says "failed relationships, legal and financial troubles, and the high stress of wartime operations in Iraq and Afghanistan are the leading factors linked to the suicides," but I don't see how those factors have changed at all in the past five years...

Okay. Let me fill you in on a few things that HAVE changed in the past 5 years.

1. The housing bubble has burst
2. the dollar has also become highly devalued in a few global markets
3. Gas prices have skyrocketed
4. the cost of living has gone up as a result of the other 3

So, with the dollar losing value, gas going up, and the housing market pretty beaten, it seems like a mudfoot (or, in this case, Sand) has a lot ot worry about. Where he gonna live when he gets back? How is he going to afford it? What if he gets called back again? The IF's pile up with no real answers.

Honestly, i could berate and flame you for living under a rock, but that'd be mean and a waste of my time. Lets just say that LOTS has changed. Maybe to not all of us, because i know people who a $2.00 increase in gas has little effect on. But it sure as heck has an effect on me. Gas at $3.55 takes me around 42 dollars to fill my tank. Some peopel can afford 42 dollars, but for me, it's a big, nasty bite.

[MyUsernameHere]

Um...guys. I only skimmed the article, but the years total suicide counts going to be around 115. That's out of a total of 1.5 million or more total servicemen and women and the first time since the Vietnam era that it could even keep pace with the general population.

Now, the number might be increasing...and it might even increase at a large proportional rate from year to year, but its still much too small a number to be able to draw any meaningful conclusions about the emotional state of military personnel in general.

Stats like this fluctuate. It happens. I'm not saying everything is great for military folks right now but this article is just a bunch of B.S.

[fdeck]

Originally Posted by Pacman

Being in the military for over 20 years now, I don't see this as dragging the military through the mud. It looks like an attempt to raise concern over a very serious problem. Perhaps to start discussions on a way to help it.

I agree. None of us would think twice about making sure our soldiers are equipped to survive getting shot at, or taken care of if they get hurt. They deserve to survive the psychological wounds of war too.

[bassrique]