I am not shocked to read this headline, I wish I could say I am shocked but after 8 years of war, I am almost immune to it now. Yes, they are all volunteers, but it doesn't mean they do NOT have stress to deal with. Some could not deal with going back for yet another tour to either war zone. Some couldn't deal with going the first time, or some other stressor happened to tip them suicidal, a filing for divorce, the death of a grand parent, a break up with a girl friend or a boy friend etc, whatever pushed them over the breaking point.
In the past I have been depressed to the point of ending it, three times, once while I was still in the Army in 1978 while at Fort Gordon, it got me a trip to floor 13 at DDEAMC, it is or was their lockdown ward back then. I have also attempted two other times, they all involved drinking and pills. Fortunately I never was never successful, and I am here now to help other veterans, I can do a lot of advocate work thru my computer and thru the phones, I am physically disabled to "work" but my mind still functions, and I am "able" to help others file their claims with the VA and or how to find assistance with their problems thru military channels or thru veterans groups or local charities.
This article titled: Army Suicide Rate Increases Five Straight Years was written by Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden for a defense news site
WASHINGTON, Dec. 11, 2009 – The rate of soldier suicides this year exceeded the 2008 total with 147 reports through November, marking the fifth consecutive year the service’s suicide rate has increased.
In November, 12 potential suicides were reported among the active-duty Army, all of which still are under investigation. In addition, two potential suicides were reported for November among reserve-component soldiers not serving on active duty. For October, three of the 16 active-duty suicides reported now are confirmed, according to a statement released by the Army yesterday.
It seems to take the military a long time to confirm suicides from October they have only been able to certify three of 13 deaths "under suspicious causes" were confirmed as suicides.
Officials are studying the results to determine the programs’ future roles in the Army’s prevention efforts, the statement said.
The 147 suicides reported this year are the highest number since the Army began recording such data in 1980.
Until they start making mental health a problem that is not stigmatized by the Chain of Command, soldiers will not seek out counselors, despite the depth of their depression. Some military bases make soldiers going to mental health clinics sit in classrooms all day reading "manuals" since they are considerd mentally unstable to allow them near weapons and ammunition. Or they will pull security clearances on soldiers holding classifed, Secret or Top Secret classifications, making it impossible for them to handle their unit missions.
Until the Chain of Command stops treating soldiers with stress induced problems as "red headed step children" they are not going to get the suicide rate down. Will they ever stop all suicides in the military, NO they won't, but in the mean time they are doing nothing to mitigate the problem.
They talk a good game about getting the troops "help" but then why are the troops still afraid to go to counseling, or if they go, they end up having people like Major Hassan wanting to report "war crimes" and have them charged. You see soldiers that tell "secrets" to Army counselors do NOT have doctor-client privacy, the counselors are supposed to report any crimes to the proper authorities, either CID or the soldiers Commanders to seek justice. With that just hanging there how many soldiers do you think are going to walk in and say "hey doc, can you give me something to help me with the nightmares I am having because, "I shot some innocent people", or "I dropped a tank round on a house filled with women and kids" it's just not going to happen, and so the soldier will drink or turn to drugs to put the demons out of their minds so they can pass out and attempt to get a nights sleep, which never seems to come anymore without the aid of booze or drugs.
They need to give military mental health providers that wall of security for the troops, no reports on what they tell any mental health provider except the thoughts they are required to report in civilian life, imminent threats of danger to themselves or others, etc.
The military needs to have the Chain of Command stop putting soldiers that seek counseling in "road guard equipment" that marks them as hazardous, or put them in classrooms to read manuals for training all day. I think they should make all military people see mental health professionals on quarterly basis for the 12 month period after returning from any war zone, and make it mandatory that they see the same person if possible so they can see if there are any noticeable changes in the soldiers behavior.
In the instance if the soldier is discharged before the year is up or immediately after returning to the United States then they need to do mandatory appointments at the nearest VA mental health clinic or Vet center. Remove the stigma, make it like going to the dentist, not that anyone likes to do it, it's just part of military life from now on and all soldiers will comply, active duty, reservists, and National Guard units and personnel.
Give active duty soldiers an 800 number they can call for anonymous counseling, so the chain of command can NOT use the call against them in any way. There has to be a way to help people thinking of suicide without having the military destroy their futures.