A top US commander says 2012 is expected to be another “tough year” for the country’s entire military as the number of suicides in the US Army ranks is expected to hit a new high for the year.
Marine suicides will be high if not a record.
Are these veterans of multiple tours committing suicide or new soldiers? I don't know. And suicides were lower during the most stressful period of 2006-2008 when the Iraq War raged at its worst. Why are rates shooting up now?
Do troops have too much time on their hands to think and dwell on being at war?
Is the drop in overall support and interest in the fight they are still in affecting their morale?
Is this a leadership problem with platoon leaders and platoon sergeants failing to detect problems and address them early?
I'm not sure if I'm more saddened or more confused about this problem.
UPDATE: Our government is aware of the problem, and is trying to cope, it seems:
The President has rightly challenged us to do even more to prevent suicide among service members, veterans, and military families, and the entire leadership of the Department of Defense shares his determination to put a stop to these tragedies. In the months ahead, the civilian and uniformed leadership of the Department will remain focused on implementing a comprehensive suicide prevention strategy to deal with this urgent and complex challenge.”
The Department of Defense and Department of Veteran’s Affairs have a Military Crisis Line and encourages military families, veterans and their loved ones to call 1-800-273-8255 to gain access to a specially trained and qualified responder.
I worry that we'll turn out troops into victims rather than injured warriors in a misguided effort to treat them. I don't have answers. I just know that we can't allow our troops to keep committing suicide, and something must be done. But I don't have a lot of faith that we can solve the problem without hurting the military.
