38 dead in July as U.S. Army experiences largest-recorded monthly suicide toll

wfgodot

Former Member
Joined
Mar 4, 2009
Messages
30,166
Reaction score
718
Army sets new suicide mark (San Antonio Express-News)
The Army said Thursday that 38 soldiers committed suicide in July, the highest monthly mark since it began keeping records.

“Suicide is the toughest enemy I have faced in my 37 years in the Army,” the Army's vice chief of staff, Gen. Lloyd J. Austin III, said in a statement.

Suicides have plagued the armed forces for years. They began to rise amid repeated tours to Iraq and Afghanistan, with about two-thirds of all deaths occurring among those who have deployed at least once.
---
much more at link above
 
This makes me so sad. We as a country should be offering more help to our soldiers. No one should be expected to survive unscathed, emotionally and mentally, in a war environment over such a long period of time. Yes, they do come home sometimes in between deployments but I bet it's never long enough to even begin to get used to "normal" life before they're sent back.

I've volunteered for the National Association for Suicide Prevention (mainly through the Out of the Darkness Community Walks) and in the past two years the military has become a big part of it. They're starting to recognize the stress these men and women are suffering from.
 
“Suicide is the toughest enemy I have faced in my 37 years in the Army,”

As an obviously ongoing and growing problem, it seems to me that somewhere along the line someone has to look at the way things are done and realize there needs to be a change.

There are so many institutions that insist on continuing to do things the way "it's always been done", while at the same time complaining about problems. Hazing on college campuses, for example, went of for years of deaths and injuries, until it finally got spotlighted and people made an effort to change hazing practices.

Another good example is the practice of medical schools forcing medical students to work ridiculously long shifts with no sleep, just because that's the way it's always been done (I've heard docs say if they had to do it, so should the new docs), creating a huge problem of mistakes being made due to human error caused by lack of sleep, yet the practice continues.

These good old boy institutions needs to get over themselves and change with the times.
 
I think there are many,many reasons we are seeing these numbers. For starters ,we are only just beginning to openly call a death a suicide.
Families lied about them because of the stigma attached.
Just seven years ago my SIL's father died a few days before my son committed suicide. It wasn't until this year she told me her father had actually committed suicide .We believed her dad had a heart attack.
Her family didn't want anyone to know,even though we were open about our 15 year old,her nephew, committing suicide. Suicide is still misunderstood by the general public,IMO.
I think the numbers have always been high,and yes, it's time we took much better care of our military the way they take care of us.
It's not weak to feel overwhelmed or depressed .It's not weak to seek help. But most of all we need to start with our kids and teach them ,this too shall pass. Just hang on and it CAN get better.
 
I am so sorry for your losses, Miss James. I'm glad you realize there is no shame attached and are able to talk openly about your experiences. But I hope you'll forgive me for saying my heart aches for you and your family.

I think yours and the posts above are all good. And we should also note that for some years now, we've been sending troops (including supposed "reserves") back to war zones, again and again and again.

Yes, I realize that soldiers in WWII served for the duration, but they had clear goals. Our troops today are put under incredible stress even as no one, including two presidents, has been able to state clear objectives for our involvement.

Extreme stress and bewilderment sound like a recipe for depression to me.
 
Incredibly sad. Our families are broken over suicide. I am glad that it's being talked about and not hidden.
A good start would be to stop funding the wars.
 

Members online

Online statistics

Members online
67
Guests online
814
Total visitors
881

Forum statistics

Threads
589,923
Messages
17,927,715
Members
228,002
Latest member
zipperoni
Back
Top