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Army suicides highest in 26 years!!

JJR

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Army suicides highest in 26 years
By PAULINE JELINEK, Associated Press Writer
33 minutes ago
WASHINGTON - Army soldiers committed suicide last year at the highest rate in 26 years, and more than a quarter did so while serving in Iraq and Afghanistan, according to a new military report.

The report, obtained by The Associated Press ahead of its scheduled release Thursday, found there were 99 confirmed suicides among active duty soldiers during 2006, up from 88 the previous year and the highest number since the 102 suicides in 1991 at the time of the Persian Gulf War.

The suicide rate for the Army has fluctuated over the past 26 years, from last year's high of 17.3 per 100,000 to a low of 9.1 per 100,000 in 2001.

Last year, "Iraq was the most common deployment location for both (suicides) and attempts," the report said

. . .
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They're going the way of the Dodo
 
What would happen to the numbers if we expanded them to include Vietnam? Iraq might be the most dangerous military action for US troops since then (I'll probably be corrected about this, so I apologize in advance) and I can see why they'd go up.
 
On it's face, it's sad.

If I can find I will post a related article. Spousal homicide among men in the military is apparently on the rise as well. Now, if this means five more than a few years ago I cannot say until I locate it. I can recall two in the last year at Fort Lewis, WA...both back from a tour in Iraq. It touched on higher suicide rates as well.

Disturbing.
 
Pardalis said:
What war was happening in 1981?
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Ronnie Raygun had just come into power and everyone knew he was going to start pointing the Deathstar at South and Central-American countries. Nicaragua is a three days drive from Texas.
 
Cain said:
Ronnie Raygun had just come into power and everyone knew he was going to start pointing the Deathstar at South and Central-American countries. Nicaragua is a three days drive from Texas.
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Was that a war?
 
Miss Anthrope said:
On it's face, it's sad.

If I can find I will post a related article. Spousal homicide among men in the military is apparently on the rise as well. Now, if this means five more than a few years ago I cannot say until I locate it. I can recall two in the last year at Fort Lewis, WA...both back from a tour in Iraq. It touched on higher suicide rates as well.

Disturbing.
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Spousal homicide is really disgusting.
 
Miss Anthrope said:
On it's face, it's sad.

If I can find I will post a related article. Spousal homicide among men in the military is apparently on the rise as well. Now, if this means five more than a few years ago I cannot say until I locate it. I can recall two in the last year at Fort Lewis, WA...both back from a tour in Iraq. It touched on higher suicide rates as well.

Disturbing.
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I find this unsuprising after hearing NPR reports about Fort Carson as it is common practice to punish those who show symptoms of PTSD and other mental health issues that are detrimental to unit effectiveness.

That seems to be even how the staff psychologists concidered things in the follow up report Link
 
ponderingturtle said:
I find this unsuprising after hearing NPR reports about Fort Carson as it is common practice to punish those who show symptoms of PTSD and other mental health issues that are detrimental to unit effectiveness.

That seems to be even how the staff psychologists concidered things in the follow up report Link
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Yes, particularly the case of poor Mr. Johnson. Imagine getting booted out of the military for snorting coke. How terribly unfair.

erm...my point being that "All Things Considered" fails to consider even the obvious things. Seek thee a better source.
 
So WHY are soldiers committing suicide? Is it because of their very particular type of occupation? If that's the case I think they are wusses - they knew what they were getting into when signing.

That said, the occupation of Iraq is MUCH safer tan any military action by the US. Say 5-6000 dead (including inofficial ones) out of the thousands of troops, then it's pretty much a walk in the park. Came to think of it, it's probably more dangerous taking a walk through a park in any large city at night than being in Iraq...
 
Warge said:
So WHY are soldiers committing suicide? Is it because of their very particular type of occupation? If that's the case I think they are wusses - they knew what they were getting into when signing.

That said, the occupation of Iraq is MUCH safer tan any military action by the US. Say 5-6000 dead (including inofficial ones) out of the thousands of troops, then it's pretty much a walk in the park. Came to think of it, it's probably more dangerous taking a walk through a park in any large city at night than being in Iraq...
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Are you serious?

Or are you just trying to be a troll?
 
Rob Lister said:
Yes, particularly the case of poor Mr. Johnson. Imagine getting booted out of the military for snorting coke. How terribly unfair.

erm...my point being that "All Things Considered" fails to consider even the obvious things. Seek thee a better source.
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See, the individuals need to be having serious mental health issues, and it can not affect their behavior simultaniously amd they need to be ready to wait several months for the to fit into the army's system.
 
I think we should thank Rob Lister and Warge for demonstrating exactly the problems that those with mental illnesses in the army face.
 
Rob Lister said:
Or we could just thank you for looking at the issue with a critical, apolitical, eye.

Or should we?
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Well you clearly don't bother concidering reading links

the first part of it

Consider: One year ago, an Army nurse, Brenda Johnson, was helping to run a medical clinic for U.S. soldiers in Iraq. She was in the middle of her second tour there, and her first lieutenant had just given her a glowing evaluation: "Sgt. Johnson has shown time and time again," the document declares, "that she is an outstanding leader, medic and soldier."

But then, Johnson says, she started losing control. "I couldn't sleep," she told NPR. "I got real shaky. Every time I ate I got sick, just vomited everything I ate, my stomach was always in knots. Nightmares — I had a real hard time going to sleep, 'cause if I'd fall asleep, I'd wake up scared."

The Army medivacked Johnson out of Iraq and sent her to Fort Knox, where, according to Army documents, the medical staff diagnosed her with PTSD and depression. Johnson says Fort Knox never provided intensive therapy or other treatments designed to help cure her depression and PTSD. She went briefly to a private therapist, but had to quit because she couldn't afford it. A few months later, her officers discharged her from the Army, despite her protests. A document in her file states that she was "not likely" to become "a quality soldier."
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Link

Clearly this Mr Johnson(oddly refered to as she in the text) was treated properly. Months of hazing between onset of symptoms and any treatment is standard psychological procedures as well, just ask any psychologist.
 
ponderingturtle said:
Well you clearly don't bother concidering reading links

the first part of it


Link

Clearly this Mr Johnson(oddly refered to as she in the text) was treated properly. Months of hazing between onset of symptoms and any treatment is standard psychological procedures as well, just ask any psychologist.
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from your LINK
Many of the people who've written are parents — including Kathy Johnson (no relation) in Oregon. Johnson says that when her son
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Not too much of a leap to presume her coke-snorting son has the same name.
 
JJR said:
They're going the way of the Dodo
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or not!

The suicide rate for the Army has fluctuated over the past 26 years, from last year's high of 17.3 per 100,000 to a low of 9.1 per 100,000 in 2001.
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I can't nail exact figures for this year down but CDC provides the following general rates for the U.S.

Young adults ages 20 to 24 — 12.5 per 100,000
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(granted, the mean age of an Army soldier is a bit higher but this is close.)

It also states

More than six times as many males as females ages 20 to 24 died by suicide.
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in 2004, the number of men and women serving in the army within that age group, according to defenselink was 133,480 males and 24,077 females.

What is the expected rate? Something more than 17.3? Does being in the army reduce the likelihood of suicide?

ETA: NationMaster calculates 21.9% for males 15 to 24. Source is WHO I think.
 
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