Army Suicides Remain High in February

[sabra]

Source: ABC News

ABC News' Luis Martinez reports: The Army has had another bad month for suicides within its ranks with 18 suspected suicides during the month of February. That is a decrease from January's record-high of 24 suspected suicides, but one Army official said Wednesday the number still remains high and "very disturbing."

The Army's in the midst of a month-long training stand-down to help soldiers identify suicidal behavior among their colleagues. That stand-down was prompted by last year's record number of 143 suspected suicides in the ranks, 138 of those have been confirmed as suicides and five remain under investigation as possible suicides. Still, last year's 143 possible suicides were substantially higher than the 115 suicides that occurred in 2007, and the fourth straight year that suicides had increased Army-wide.

Army Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Peter Chiarelli and top Army mental health officers released the February numbers during a bloggers conference call this morning. Last month's high numbers prompted the Army to begin releasing monthly suicide statistics.

Chiarelli said trying to reduce the suicide numbers within the ranks, "is one of the hardest problems" he's seen in his 36 year military career and such a complex challenge, "that there is no single solution...suicide is a multi-dimensional problem that requires a multi-disciplinary approach to tackle it."

Read more: http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalradar/2009/03/army-suicides-r.html

[RamboLiberal]

1. Army: 18 more suicides suspected in Feb

Source: USA Today/AP

After an alarming spike in soldier suicides in January, the Army said Thursday there were another 18 suspected suicides last month.

The increase continues a four-year rise in an Army under stress from two wars.

"It's a very high number, it's very disturbing," Col. Thomas Languirand, head of the Army suicide prevention program, said of February's toll. "We're taking every effort we can think of" to try to bring it down.

The Army normally releases figures on self-inflicted deaths only once a year. But due to the large number of 24 suspected in January, officials decided to announce monthly figures to focus attention on the problem and on prevention programs available.



Read more: http://www.usatoday.com/news/military/2009-03-05-army-suicides_N.htm

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Bush and his illegal war plus stop-loss has burned out the troops.

[pasto76]

2. bruned out the troops, burned out the families.

[pmorlan1]

3. What if...

I can certainly understand how these suicides may in fact be suicides but there's also this nagging feeling that keeps telling me that maybe they aren't all suicides. Maybe some of these people saw things they weren't supposed to see or maybe someone doesn't trust them to keep quiet. I know, I know it sounds like a conspiracy theory but you have to admit that after 8 years of George Bush and his fascist regime we've learned that anything is possible.

[pasto76]

4. sure, but not likely

most of these troopers have in fact "seen things they arent supposed to see". You cant imagine the carnage of war until you see it, smell it, live it, taste it.

I never understood "suicide" until I went there. I used to say "what could be so bad that you want to be dead?" Now I know. Now I understand.

Other troops lose everything. Families, houses, businesses, jobs. What if you saw "those things" AND had your wife leave you for you buddy or neighbor. Not enough healthcare people to help you sort it out. You know, the scene in the movie JARHEAD where the VHS cassette turns into a homemade porn. That part wasnt funny. That shit really happens.

God forbid you come back disabled, injured, blown up. To a VA system that doesnt provide adequate care. Family might come stay in one of the Fisher houses to be near you, but they lsoe their jobs, the house. Boy what a burden you may think you are. Maybe it would be better off if I had died over there.

Pickup the book THE LAST TRUE STORY I'LL EVER TELL. Good story. True story. Get to the last chapter. IF that doesnt make you want to carve your heart out with a chopstick to make the pain go away, then you are not plugged into the predicament our veterans face.

Oh yeah, and enough of these numbers are murder-suicide. Goos article in last MAXIM about just that.

There are enough reasons for troops to end the pain. They have no more coping mechanisms, no more coping skills. The end is relief. NO conspiracy is needed for this one amigo...