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US Army suicides hit record high

Richard Nixon

Richard Nixon

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BBC NEWS | Americas | US army suicides hit record high

About 35% of the suicides were of soldiers who had never been deployed, while 30% were soldiers who were on active service - three quarters of them on their first tour of duty.

Another 35% took place after deployment, mostly more than a year after the soldier had returned home.

The rise means that the military suicide rate is proportionally higher than the rate among American civilians for the first time.
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Damn shame. These soldiers need improved support. Or hell, better psychological screening for those who can't hack it. I'm not as wise on the subject as some here probably are so I don't know.
 
So why the fatuous comments?
 
Obviously, they need better opt out options. To be stuck to something so much do to words on a paper.... To be stuck to it so much that your life becoming forfeit seems like an acceptable cost. This is honor? This is nobility? This is being true and proud?
 
dirtpoorchris said:
Obviously, they need better opt out options. To be stuck to something so much do to words on a paper.... To be stuck to it so much that your life becoming forfeit seems like an acceptable cost. This is honor? This is nobility? This is being true and proud?
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So I guess if you possibly get into harms way, you can opt out of a legal contract? Does not work that way.

Basic training has gotten more and more wimpy over the years. In my opinion it no longer prepares anyone for the rigors of combat. It used to weed the majority of those who could not hack it out. But not anymore, with the ***** ass running around in shorts etc they have now.
 
Blackdog said:
So I guess if you possibly get into harms way, you can opt out of a legal contract? Does not work that way.

Basic training has gotten more and more wimpy over the years. In my opinion it no longer prepares anyone for the rigors of combat. It used to weed the majority of those who could not hack it out. But not anymore, with the ***** ass running around in shorts etc they have now.
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I'm just going to throw this out there, but could that possibly be a consequence of waging two unpopular wars and upping recruiting in poorer-income rural places?

If we NEED 500,000 soldiers and only 550,000 apply, I'd imagine there's less of a selection process than if we need 250,000 and 400,000 apply.

Just sayin'...
 
I guess we better deploy more troops then.
 
Smoke[MaxX] said:
I'm just going to throw this out there, but could that possibly be a consequence of waging two unpopular wars and upping recruiting in poorer-income rural places?

If we NEED 500,000 soldiers and only 550,000 apply, I'd imagine there's less of a selection process than if we need 250,000 and 400,000 apply.

Just sayin'...
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The standards and allowable discipline were relaxed to the point of being usesless during the Clinton administration, it was a main complaint of my buddies who were serving during those years.
 
Wouldn't a study group of young men naturally have a higher suicide rate than a study group of all the population? Isn't it mostly young men who commit suicide?

I understand the military does a lot to combat suicide among its members.
 
LaMidRighter said:
The standards and allowable discipline were relaxed to the point of being usesless during the Clinton administration, it was a main complaint of my buddies who were serving during those years.
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So why weren't there more suicides during the Clinton years? Your criticism has no basis in fact. There are suicides today because the young men and women of the military are being asked to contribute too much. Their personal lives are ignored, and they are expected to suffer without complaint in the name of duty and country.

"The conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan have placed severe stress on the Army, caused in part by repeated and lengthened deployments. Historically, suicide rates tend to decrease when soldiers are in conflicts overseas, but that trend has reversed in recent years. From a suicide rate of 9.8 per 100,000 active-duty soldiers in 2001 -- the lowest rate on record -- the Army reached an all-time high of 17.5 suicides per 100,000 active-duty soldiers in 2006. "
Soldier Suicides at Record Level - washingtonpost.com
 
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Smoke[MaxX] said:
I'm just going to throw this out there, but could that possibly be a consequence of waging two unpopular wars and upping recruiting in poorer-income rural places?
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The popularity of the war should not affect suicides, in fact it has little or nothing to do with it. It has to do with facing the rigors of combat in a hostile environment for sometimes years.

As for the comment about poorer income "rural" targets. Please post some evidence of this.

incomearmy0405.gif


Does not look like your comment can be backed up.

Smoke[MaxX] said:
If we NEED 500,000 soldiers and only 550,000 apply, I'd imagine there's less of a selection process than if we need 250,000 and 400,000 apply.

Just sayin'...
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That could be part of the problem, but I doubt it has very much to do with it.
 
Blackdog said:
So I guess if you possibly get into harms way, you can opt out of a legal contract? Does not work that way.

Basic training has gotten more and more wimpy over the years. In my opinion it no longer prepares anyone for the rigors of combat. It used to weed the majority of those who could not hack it out. But not anymore, with the ***** ass running around in shorts etc they have now.
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What's wrong with shorts?
 
Blackdog said:
The popularity of the war should not affect suicides, in fact it has little or nothing to do with it. It has to do with facing the rigors of combat in a hostile environment for sometimes years.

As for the comment about poorer income "rural" targets. Please post some evidence of this.

incomearmy0405.gif


Does not look like your comment can be backed up.



That could be part of the problem, but I doubt it has very much to do with it.
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YouTube - Military Recruiters Target Felons in Alexandria City Jail
 
Blackdog said:
So I guess if you possibly get into harms way, you can opt out of a legal contract? Does not work that way.

Basic training has gotten more and more wimpy over the years. In my opinion it no longer prepares anyone for the rigors of combat. It used to weed the majority of those who could not hack it out. But not anymore, with the ***** ass running around in shorts etc they have now.
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People kill themselves because there is something they cannot live with. Me personally.. I could not live with myself if I murdered an innocent. Fighting someone that deserves to be fought would never make me feel the need to take my own life.
 
dirtpoorchris said:
People kill themselves because there is something they cannot live with. Me personally.. I could not live with myself if I murdered an innocent. Fighting someone that deserves to be fought would never make me feel the need to take my own life.
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Thats you, and even in that you are speculating on what? Your years of military training? Your years of personal combat experience? You are guessing about how you think you would do. It is amazing how far from reality peoples perceptions are when it comes to extreme situations of all types. :mrgreen:

I don't think anyone is innocent anymore.
 
dirtpoorchris said:
People kill themselves because there is something they cannot live with. Me personally.. I could not live with myself if I murdered an innocent. Fighting someone that deserves to be fought would never make me feel the need to take my own life.
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You continue to appear stupid and hateful of our military men and women. The God Damned terrorists are not innocents. The true source of the depression and suicides is much, much deeper than your mental capacity. As a veteran I COULD try to explain what it all feels like, but I`m guessing that you really don`t give a s**t. You are a bleeding heart liberal. **** YOU!
 
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Blackdog said:
The popularity of the war should not affect suicides, in fact it has little or nothing to do with it. It has to do with facing the rigors of combat in a hostile environment for sometimes years.

As for the comment about poorer income "rural" targets. Please post some evidence of this.

incomearmy0405.gif


Does not look like your comment can be backed up.



That could be part of the problem, but I doubt it has very much to do with it.
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Another point, The IQ of the average American military service ,man and woman, is above ...,(well above) national average.Its a high tech military requireing higher levels of mental function. Unfortunately these more wise men and women see more clearly...,and it is a massive stress to behold. I never wanted to commit suicide, but all these years later I still feel it, the stress. One part of my life I would do over is the military. It was a good thing. It just follows you around forever though.
 
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WillRockwell said:
So why weren't there more suicides during the Clinton years? Your criticism has no basis in fact. There are suicides today because the young men and women of the military are being asked to contribute too much. Their personal lives are ignored, and they are expected to suffer without complaint in the name of duty and country.
Click to expand...
We weren't in a major two front war at the time, so those serving were in peace time mode, now that the pressure is on, many can't handle the additional stress of war, that breaks down to training and is a tragedy.
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Rodney said:
Another point, The IQ of the average American military service ,man and woman, is above ...,(well above) national average.Its a high tech military requireing higher levels of mental function. Unfortunately these more wise men and women see more clearly...,and it is a massive stress to behold. I never wanted to commit suicide, but all these years later I still feel it, the stress. One part of my life I would do over is the military. It was a good thing. It just follows you around forever though.
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I thought long and hard about trying to go special ops when I was younger but made a promise to my family to graduate college and we were at a time of relative peace then, when 9/11 happened I was almost done, had that happened when I was just graduating H.S. I would have happily joined. I wish that the standards would go back to the much higher levels they were at post 1990's so that things like PTSD and increased suicides could be avoided, I feel that we owe it to those who willingly sacrifice for this country.
 
Richard Nixon said:
BBC NEWS | Americas | US army suicides hit record high



Damn shame. These soldiers need improved support. Or hell, better psychological screening for those who can't hack it. I'm not as wise on the subject as some here probably are so I don't know.
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I argue that you are wise,but to the points..., It is more a result of haveing been in any military capacity at all. In Germany during the Vietnam war they had such a severe problem with suicides, drugs addiction and severe depression (explosive rage followed by Volks Wagons being crushed by US tanks), that command heads rolled at the pentagon. Today ,47% of the homeless population in Nashville are veterans...,very intelligent,but very messed up,stressed out veterans. I was just in the middle of a crowd of them yesterday,(at Operation Stand Down) I hope I find work soon. Thanks for careing / your post....
 
LaMidRighter said:
I thought long and hard about trying to go special ops when I was younger but made a promise to my family to graduate college and we were at a time of relative peace then, when 9/11 happened I was almost done, had that happened when I was just graduating H.S. I would have happily joined. I wish that the standards would go back to the much higher levels they were at post 1990's so that things like PTSD and increased suicides could be avoided, I feel that we owe it to those who willingly sacrifice for this country.
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I think I just tried to clean your clock in another post,on another issue..., but thank you for careing ,:2wave:and for your thoughtfulness here.
 
Rodney said:
I think I just tried to clean your clock in another post,on another issue..., but thank you for careing ,:2wave:and for your thoughtfulness here.
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It's the least we can do when considering that others will make these sacrifices.
 
I know that the suicide rates went up high with the Viet Nam vets,after they returned home.A lot of that was survivor guilt.
Also it's very hard to enter back into society, when 2 or 3 days before, you were shooting at, or being shot at by someone,in a war zone.
I still remember being at a local drive in restaurant talking to, friends when a car drove by and backfired,everyone turned and looked for the offending car,me I was under my car waiting for incoming fire.
Everyone thought it was funny I was under my car.
Once you have been in harms way your life is different.
 
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