Army studying high suicide rate

[Curandera]

Is this being reported in the US?Army studying high suicide rate

[Curandera]

Sorry, thanks. I was just stunned by this and wondered how this could not be big news, sad and depressing news, news that brings about some change in plans by the Bush administration. I feel so sorry for the troups, either get them home to their families - or get them the support they need - but something has to change.

[veganmamma]

I heard about it on NPR, not that NPR is a good gauge of mainstream media. :
L

[Curandera]

I guess it was a really stupid post, because I guess I am just stunned because I feel like this news is so sad and frustrating, I can't believe the US citizens hear this stuff and still support the policy of this adminstration. So, although I asked if they are reporting it, I wanted to know more - like how do they feel about it? Are the lives of the soldiers - either the beat of their hearts or the quality of their inner souls - really so easily dismissed?

[veganmamma]

You know, the armed forces have always had staggering suicide rates, no one cared before- I'm not surprised they don't care now. We send them to unjust and illegal wars turning them into war criminals, and cut their benefits, disregard their diseases, allow them to kill themselves off one by one, and if they don't they can die in a crappy, understaffed, porrly run veterans home. It is disgusting. It amkes me so sad. All the "patriots" with flags on their cars who talk big about supporting troops are full of crap. I don't see them sending kevlar vests, paying for health care, writing letters to our gov't to demand better mental health care. It really pisses me off. Who *really* supports the troops. I support them in coming home to their families, I supprt them getting better benefits and health care. I just don't supprt them going into tiny, poorly run countries and dying all over the palce for no good reason other than Halliburton's bottom line. Doesn't our gov't realize that by taking such shabby care of our soldiers we make ourselves a laughing stock? This will backfire. Or at least, I pray it will.
Lauren

[TiredX2]

Who *really* supports the troops. I support them in coming home to their families, I supprt them getting better benefits and health care. I just don't supprt them going into tiny, poorly run countries and dying all over the palce for no good reason other than Halliburton's bottom line.

ITA! These big military spenders who try to cut veterans/family benifits at every turn just tick me off.

Kay

[TiredX2]

This is especially concerning to me considering the population being studied: only those currently deployed in Iraq.

Considering that these people are fairly young, should be financially secure, healthy, etc... they should have very low suicide rates. There obviously needs to be more intervention, if 17 people have actually suceeded in getting under the radar (and almost 500 more were sent home, wonder what state they were in: botched suicides?) the radar must not be very good.

Kay

[veganmamma]

Considering that these people are fairly young, should be financially secure, healthy, etc... they should have very low suicide rates. There obviously needs to be more intervention, if 17 people have actually suceeded in getting under the radar (and almost 500 more were sent home, wonder what state they were in: botched suicides?) the radar must not be very good

ITA, this is a very good point, how many attempted suicides? How many nervous breakdowns? How many 5150s? (5150 police code for threat to self or others.) How many are they missing? How many haven't been sent home, but back out to battle?

L