Army suicide rate "terrifying"

[Ben Kenobi]

26 years?

Geez, that would take us back to 1980.

I rest my case.

[Darius871]

You saw a similar spike under Carter.

Cite? I'm genuinely curious.

[Ben Kenobi]

No one needs to be reminded that suicide is a serious matter, whether among soldiers or civilians. But the media have managed to create the impression that it is military service overseas which is the cause of suicides among American troops, when civilians of the same ages and other demographic characteristics are committing suicide at an even higher rate at home.

This is something else that needs to be noted.

If you are saying that mental illness is a bigger problem for the troops, that's not the case, surprisingly enough.

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2008/06/cocky_ignorance.html

I don't believe the problem is inadequate services, else you'd be seeing rates that are higher, more in line with the rates at home.

[Velociryx]

Uhhh, Ben. 26 years would be 1983...when Regan was President, and in '06 it was your Hero, Bush.

Just...you know...an fyi.

-=Vel=-

[Ben Kenobi]

As Dr. James Joyner points out, the highest suicide rate ever among soldiers took place with the peace-time Army of 1980 under Jimmy Carter:

Which means that, despite legitimate concern about suicides rising during this war (see here and here for stories from 2003), the rate was actually lower than it was during the peacetime Army of 1980.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/15/AR2007081502027.html

And again this is 7 years after Viet-Nam and the rates then were still higher then they are now.

[Darius871]

ty

[Elok]

Well, my brother's in the Army and he says there's widespread hatred for the new C-in-C among the troops, but then he's become a red-state troglodyte himself. As for causing suicides...if the CEO of the company you work for is a douche, do you kill yourself? No. If anything, you try to kill the CEO, and then only if you're seriously unhinged. Most people in that situation just shrug and thank their lucky stars that they don't have to work closely with the big boss.

[Velociryx]

http://www.defenselink.mil/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=51044

WASHINGTON, Sept. 4, 2008 – With 2008 suicide rates expected to exceed last year’s all-time-high rate and threatening to top those in the civilian population, the Army is stepping up efforts to get soldiers and their leaders to look out for each other’s well-being and to take the stigma out of seeking mental-health help.

Let's see...who was president in '07 again? I can't quite....remember.

-=Vel=-
(emphasis, mine, and hey...it's just from the Department of Defense...everybody knows we can't trust those guys!)

[Ben Kenobi]

If this trend continues through 2008, the Army will exceed last year’s 115 suicides, an all-time high for the Army, he reported

The number is an all-time high. The rate is not.

Bad reporter.

[snoopy369]

Now we just need to tear rah away from the "Suck it, Ben" thread long enough to get it added.

Wait, you think rah does actual work around here?

[Darius871]

Well, my brother's in the Army and he says there's widespread hatred for the new C-in-C among the troops

Considering 4 of the 6 grunts I've known personally said they were hoping to go "smoke some sand n***ers" (their words, not mine), this doesn't surprise me in the slightest. In fact based on their non-representative sample even a damned coup d'etat wouldn't shock me.

[Kontiki]

26 years?

Geez, that would take us back to 1980.

I rest my case.

What case, that Bush didn't care about the troops?

[Patroklos]

The cause isn't that difficult, a Commander in Chief that doesn't respect the military.

Ben

In any case the real story here is this is the first year the army has had greater suicide rates than the civilian populace in some for the same age groups. Just barely though.

I honestly can't even guess why. Tours were just cut back to 1 year a month ago and violence in Iraq where most of our deployed troops are is WAY down. Honestly I can't think of anything more the active forces can do, the amount of training and idiations and other attention to suicide we do is stiffling. Anything and everything is taken seriously to absurdity.

[Velociryx]

Kontiki, give it up.

Obviously the soldiers' deaths are a response to Dems getting elected to the high office. There's no other possible explanation :eyeroll:

-=Vel=-

[Kontiki]

26 years?

Geez, that would take us back to 1980.

I rest my case.

The number is an all-time high. The rate is not.

Bad reporter.

Indeed. We all know the US army has been growing in size for years, and is especially huge now compared to during the Cold War.