thedrifter
02-18-09, 09:13 AM
Posted on Wed, Feb. 18, 2009
Editorial: Military Suicides
The battleground within
More American soldiers may have committed suicide in Iraq and Afghanistan last month than were killed in combat.
In a surprising but needed show of transparency, the Army has disclosed there were seven confirmed and 17 suspected suicides in January. That compares with 16 combat deaths last month. The 24 suicides are four times the number in January 2008; there were six in January 2007, and 10 that month in 2006.
The Army rarely releases a month-by-month update on suicides, but officials were so concerned that they went public with the numbers and briefed Congress. That drastic change is welcome. You can't attack the problem with a coverup.
An annual report released last month found that 128 soldiers at various duty stations had killed themselves in 2008, the highest yearly number on record. Additional deaths are being investigated as suspected suicides.
The deaths were spread fairly evenly among soldiers stateside and overseas. Thirty-seven committed suicide while deployed; 50 after their return; 44 were not deployed.
Suicides were also up in the Marine Corps, which reported that 41 Marines, including six serving in Iraq, committed suicide in 2008, the highest rate since 1995.
Soldiers are under great stress from repeated and extended tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan. Some have problems related to jobs at home, and legal and financial issues.
The military recognizes what is happening, but needs to beef up its plan to address the problem with more mental-health counselors.
The Army is also instituting special month-long training sessions to help soldiers recognize suicidal behaviors and intervene if they see those signs in a comrade.
Besides the "stand-down" to facilitate training, the Army is planning a suicide-prevention program for all soldiers, from the top of the chain of command down to the rank and file.
Those are steps in the right direction, but the Army cannot stop there. It must shed the entrenched macho culture that discourages soldiers from seeking help. More mental-health screenings are also needed, as well as more support services for military families.
Simply by disclosing the alarming suicide trend, the Army has opened the door for more soldiers to seek and receive the help they need to defeat the enemy inside.
Ellie
Editorial: Military Suicides
The battleground within
More American soldiers may have committed suicide in Iraq and Afghanistan last month than were killed in combat.
In a surprising but needed show of transparency, the Army has disclosed there were seven confirmed and 17 suspected suicides in January. That compares with 16 combat deaths last month. The 24 suicides are four times the number in January 2008; there were six in January 2007, and 10 that month in 2006.
The Army rarely releases a month-by-month update on suicides, but officials were so concerned that they went public with the numbers and briefed Congress. That drastic change is welcome. You can't attack the problem with a coverup.
An annual report released last month found that 128 soldiers at various duty stations had killed themselves in 2008, the highest yearly number on record. Additional deaths are being investigated as suspected suicides.
The deaths were spread fairly evenly among soldiers stateside and overseas. Thirty-seven committed suicide while deployed; 50 after their return; 44 were not deployed.
Suicides were also up in the Marine Corps, which reported that 41 Marines, including six serving in Iraq, committed suicide in 2008, the highest rate since 1995.
Soldiers are under great stress from repeated and extended tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan. Some have problems related to jobs at home, and legal and financial issues.
The military recognizes what is happening, but needs to beef up its plan to address the problem with more mental-health counselors.
The Army is also instituting special month-long training sessions to help soldiers recognize suicidal behaviors and intervene if they see those signs in a comrade.
Besides the "stand-down" to facilitate training, the Army is planning a suicide-prevention program for all soldiers, from the top of the chain of command down to the rank and file.
Those are steps in the right direction, but the Army cannot stop there. It must shed the entrenched macho culture that discourages soldiers from seeking help. More mental-health screenings are also needed, as well as more support services for military families.
Simply by disclosing the alarming suicide trend, the Army has opened the door for more soldiers to seek and receive the help they need to defeat the enemy inside.
Ellie