US Soldier Suicides Reach A Record High
Suicides among serving American soldiers reached a record high last year, as more troops were sent back for multiple tours of the battlefields of Iraq and Afghanistan.
The US Army saw suicides among active duty troops leap 20 per cent from 2006, with 121 soldiers taking their own lives during 2007. The increase in attempted suicides and self-inflicted injuries was higher still, jumping six-fold since the war in Iraq began in 2003.
The army suicide rate now stands at twice that of 1980, when records began, and for the first time in American military history more soldiers are killing themselves in wartime than in peace.
The findings are contained in an internal military report that concludes that the army was utterly unprepared for the psychological fall-out from fighting two parallel and demanding insurgencies in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Both conflicts have continued far longer and at a far higher intensity than was planned for, with many troops now returning for their third or fourth deployment in six years or less, as an overstretched military struggles to staff its battlefields.
A typical deployment for American troops lasts from 12 to 18 months, compared with 4 to 6 months for their British counterparts. The study found that the frequency and length of the deployments were a key factor behind soldier suicides, both for the stress they placed on the individual in the combat zone and the strain that long separations caused on family and spousal relationships.
Colonel Elspeth Ritchie, the army’s top psychiatrist and the author of the report, saod that the trend would continue upwards unless there was a serious rethink of a mental-health programme that was not designed to cope with the demands of the current conflicts - or indeed, any conflict at all.
“The current Army Suicide Prevention Program was not originally designed for a combat/deployment environment,” she wrote, adding that six years after the conflict in Afghanistan began, the army had still to learn how to assess, monitor and treat soldiers in psychological distress. Over the past year, it has worked to reform many aspects of its mental health provisions, from psychiatric screenings to resilience training, but has failed to turn the tide of self-harm.
The suicide crisis was brought into focus dramatically with the attempted suicide on Monday evening of Lieutenant Elizabeth Whiteside, who was taken to Washington’s Walter Reed Army Medical Centre after suffering a nervous breakdown in Iraq last year. Ms Whiteside had snapped, pointed a gun at a superior, fired two shots into the ceiling then turned the gun on herself, damaging several of her organs.
She was in hospital awaiting a decision on whether to court-martial her when she took an overdose of pills, apparently in protest at mental health care provision. “I’m very disappointed with the Army,” she wrote in a suicide note. “Hopefully this will help other soldiers.” She was revived and remains in a stable condition. The charges against her have since been dropped.
Critics say that the new report highlights not merely the need for more reform, but raises fundamental questions over whether the US Army, with only 500,000 active duty members, can continue to cope with the levels of its commitments in Iraq and Afghanistan. The report comes only days after the Administration announced plans to deploy an additional 3,200 Marines to Afghanistan, in an attempt to replicate the success of the “surge” in Baghdad.
Others warn that the public health care system faces being swamped by a returning generation of traumatised veterans. Some troop surveys in Iraq have shown 20 per cent of soldiers - a record level -suffering from the symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder. Most combat-induced psychiatric disorders, however, do not manifest fully until later, as evidenced by the latest report, which showed that two-thirds of suicides took place in the US after soldiers had returned home.
© 2008 The Times Online
Wait awhile, the worst is yet to come.
http://www.gulfwarvets.com/du_blowinginthewind.htm
A human being can only withstand so much violent and murderous behavior as a way of life before ‘cracking up’ or commiting suicide, especially when they realize that it was unwarranted actions on their part that caused so much death, suffering, misery, and destruction on a population of people who are innocent victims. Once the veil of deceptive propaganda is uncovered and the individual realizes the “crimes against humanity” he or she participated in, for no other purpose than to make one group (the war-profiteers) wealthier, and the criminally-minded politicians who conned them into doing their dirty deeds, the person starts thinking. ( As I’ve always said, “once you pull the trigger, it’s too late to say I’m sorry” )
People of all races, cultures, and groups want the same basic things in life. Good health, happiness, enough food and water for sustenance, adequate shelter, to be loved and to love, real friendship, and a harmonius community to dwell in.
Until man ( and women ) understands the ‘GOLDEN RULE’ of “Do Unto Others As You Would Others Do Unto You,” and starts to practice it, we will read stories similar to Catherine Philp’s.
This war-like mentality in the United States HAS TO COME TO A HALT ASAP, if this country is going to survive. The jingoistic “support the troops” slogan has harmed this country and harmed weaker nations as well. I’ll say it again. The
“HELL NO, WE WON’T GO! mantra should pick up where it left off in the sixties.
Peace and Harmony all over this planet.
KEM PATRICK, Thanks for the link. I just read it. Unbelievable!
Here’s something you might be interested in.
http;//carolynbaker.net/site/index2.php?option=com.content
peaceman…thanks for the comment:
” A human being can only withstand so much violent and murderous behavior as a way of life before ‘cracking up’ or commiting suicide, especially when they realize that it was unwarranted actions on their part that caused so much death, suffering, misery, and destruction on a population of people who are innocent victims. ”
This is an aspect of combat that does not get enough attention. Obviously this is a reality the military does not want to face and is also off limits in the American media and popular culture.
I have known a number of veterans who suffered terribly from the psychological effects of what could be called conscience.
This is especially dramatic when a person becomes involved in a military action thinking it is a morally justified conflict.
When that individual realizes they are involved in what amounts to little more than state-sanctioned murder for profit, opposing value systems in the mind begin an internal war. If that internal conflict cannot be resolved the result may be loss of mental health.
JConrad, Thanks for your contribution. You said it well.
I’ll just add…the “glorification” of war, Rambo, Top Gun, John Wayne, etc. by the entertainment industry.
Youngsters ( myself included ) identify with the ‘macho-man image’ and some believe “that by doing bad, they are doing good” and will make the world a nicer place. How about, Woodrow Wilson’s pitch to get us into the European war. “The war to end all wars! ” It worked! But not in ending wars.
” I have known a number of veterans who suffered terribly from the psychological effects of what could be called conscience. ”
I think you nailed it right there, JConrad, with the term “conscience.” History is filled with stories of people in various occupations or positions in life ( non-military, also ) who have done some ‘less-than-honorable things’ and suffered within from these deeds, and some took their own lives as a consequence.
I read a book a long time ago. I think it was called “No more Killing”. It pointed out that the only people who can participate in war without problem are sociopaths.
These kids killing themselves are the decent ones. The sociopaths will be with us for decades.
Remember that 50,000+ soldiers died in Vietnam, but 100,000 killed themselves afterwards.
I have one word for the American government - diplomacy… and actions which help to reestablish the credibility of the diplomatic efforts - not just spin.
With the administration we have, diplomacy…never. There is only one goal….One World Order.
This is sick!
Nothing more I can say.
Good posts, but why so few ?
I have noticed that articles dealing with deep suffering, such as traumatized vets or the people of Iraq, do not attract as many comments as political issues that are intellectually engaging.
The problem may be that few people really want to go there or can go there. It is much safer to stay within the boundaries of detached discussion of “issues” or bash a worthless politician.
Being truly open to the pain and mental suffering of other people can be a very unpleasant experience. If we are profoundly empathetic, the torment of others can become very real for us.
And when, even for a few moments, we manage to reach that level of understanding, the experience can be overwhelming, disturbing, and may temporarily destroy one’s own feeling of well being. Hence, our defense mechanisms tend to keep us is a comfort zone of self-preservation.
But, I think those terrible places is where everyone needs to go, even if we have to imagine the horror. In fact, we should seek out situations that present the most devastating examples of man-made suffering imaginable rather than turn away. That is where the inspiration for change can be found.
We need to experience or take on their pain and transform that unstable energy into something positive.
The words I am using are not adequate, but I thought to give this one a try. Every day I observe “normal” American society with a bizarre sense of amazement. To date we have killed hundreds of thousands of people in Iraq, perhaps a million, yet the average person is oblivious to the depth of the suffering of those we have harmed.
And we are not doing much better in understanding or taking care of the walking wounded caught in the crossfire of “war” motivated by greed.
JConrad, ” Good posts, but why so few ? ” I went back to this article this morning and thought the same thing. I decided to wait several hours and revisit it. The comments on your latest post pertains to most folks, unless they have a relative or friend involved. ” Out of sight, out of mind.”
I think it is the accumulated collective “soft-soaping” of the American mind over the past three decades, and the ‘greed is good’ selfish philosophy permeating our culture, starting with the Reagan years and continuing to this day. The heck with the other guy, as long as I’m okay.
“The words I am using are not adequate, but I thought to give this one a try.” Man, your words are more than adequate, having touched me, and I am in total agreement with what you said.
The monopolistic corporate media, ( MCM ) keeps stories like this off-screen, and when they do show something, it’s usually a success story about “the troops.”
It reminds me of the French Foreign Legion in Vietnam. As they were taking heavy casualties, the people in France were uninvolved and ambivalent of the crisis, as the Legionaires were thousands of miles away. Again, “out of sight, out of mind.”
I don’t have a good answer for you, except to ‘educate the people’ as to the reasons for things happening and for what motivation. Some people are just not interested in anything outside of their own little sphere.
Thanks, Peaceman:
To “educate the people”, including folks like us who are actively interested, is an endless process. I wake up a little more every day.
Having lived through the Nam era it seems that eventually there is a critical mass of public opinion that begins to change things.
JConrad, I know nothing about you except the ( I call them ) ‘letters to the editor’ on Common Dreams. You are a fine person, in my not so humble opinion, and one day, more of our fellow citizens will better understand all you have said. Remember, “not one jot or one tittle goes unnoticed.”
Keep educating the people, J. They’ll catch on sooner than later.
JCONRAD AND PEACEMAN
i’ve noticed too that often articles about cruelty to animals get more attention than articles like this and geonocide/atrocities committed in foreign countries. (not that i agree with cruelty to animals) tell me, was the phrase ‘greed is good’ actually coined by a real person? or is it just one of those phrases that pop up now and again. as for people not being interested in anything outside their own little sphere…………it’s not just in the u.s.a. i personally cannot believe the ignorance of the majority of people i meet with regard to everyday happenings worldwide. (unless it’s something mundane like football results or lottery winners etc.)
COCO
I can only speak for myself on the phrase, “greed is good” and to be honest with you, I started using that phrase in the 80’s, during the Reagan Administration and have continued using it. I don’t know if someone actually coined the phrase or not. When I refer to the Milton Friedman and Allan Greenspan economic philosophy, I often use that term whether in writing or talking to people in general. To be fair, those two individuals don’t have a lock on the ‘phrase’ by any means, but they have played an important role in it by shaping economic policy over the decades. That’s my opinion.
People do give articles about animal cruelty more attention sometimes than genocide and atrocities commited in foreign countries. I’m thankful for the concern others have for ‘animal rights’ and non-cruel treatment of them. (February is my 40th year as a vegetarian)
” When you cannot believe the ignorance of the majority of people you meet with regard to everyday happenings worldwide ” (and nationally as well) we are in total agreement. I (perhaps?) coined a new phrase which I call “willfully ignorant,” in my posts this past week. The information is there for all of us. After 7 bloodthirsty years of this Administration and the ‘coward-in-chief’s signing statements and disregard for our Constitution and International Law and Treaties the U.S. is signatory to, we still have willfully ignorant people joining the Armed Forces, or the ones already in, staying in to do the dirty work for the ruling elite. Unfortunately, articles like this have to be written, exposing the after effects of participating in murder, rampage, and plunder. IT WAS ALL UNNECESSARY!
Peace and Harmony to you and the rest of the planet, Coco.
Coco
I talked to a friend of mine about the ‘phrase’ and was told the Michael Douglas character in the Oliver Stone movie, ‘Wall Street’, used the term, “greed is good”" in a conversation with Charlie Sheen. Perhaps I picked it up from the movie, but I remember using it earlier, unless my mind is slipping.
Hi Peaceman and Coco and the universe !
Peaceman: I am an old fart living in the rocky mountain west sorting out the past sixty years of wandering the planet and taking notes salted with an appreciation of brutal honesty, that is, cutting through the illusions that cause so much suffering.
Your comment on internal war angst caught me as I was only about ten years old when I first felt that type of horror in a person through my mother’s brother, a decorated WWII “hero”, who was destroyed through the process of taking lives. He flew a record number of missions bombing the civilians of Dresden. The VA solution to his depression and nightmares and complex PTSD was electroshock therapy and see you later. All of his love relationships were trashed as no one could even begin to get close to him while he was trapped in that state of mind.
For me this was very strange as it was not until I was about 18 that my mother explained why he was that way, although I could feel his pain with the open perceptions of a child.
We could ramble on and one about “why” awareness is so limited, or why suicide is not a popular topic, but the important thing here is that independent media like this allows for the use of creative language and thought that actually does have an effect over time. This is why “they” have created the MCM as ideas can result in change.
Hmmm, how about consciousness is contagious.
We may not see the more enlightened society imagined by the progressive vision in the very near future, but there IS a process of change in motion. I find engaging in the tough and ugly subjects, rather than turning away, to be ultimately therapeutic once we get past the initial shock. Denial rots the soul.
Hey, to change the subject. The sun is out today shining on brilliant white snow sculpted by harsh winter wind. An old neighbor died not long ago and I took the opportunity to transform death into a poem.
Another winter passed
a kind neighbor died
small dreams weep
sun climbing the sky
silent memory clouds
turning within blue
form and no form
taking them beyond
a blink of the eye
smiling on new blades
of green grass appearing
like anxious attempts at love
back at the beginning
with care they live.
And as we may be living in the winter of man’s discontent at the present time, it is all a growth process, however painful, leading to an improved reality.
Quote: “Kindness is my religion.” H.H. Dalai Lama
JConrad
God only knows what your uncle went through after WW11. And to make matters worse, ‘electric shock therapy.’ May his soul rest in peace.
This is one reason for the battle cry of the 60’s, “HELL NO, WE WON’T GO! ” to be resurrected and sung all over the world. By not participating in violent action, more tragedies can be avoided.
The Washington Gestapo (the Democrats as well as the Republican Crime Family) are worried about insurrection by the citizens, as more and more common people are losing their jobs, homes, pensions, benefits, and too many can’t make ends meet. As folks begin to see the broader picture, preconcieved concepts change and an awareness from within gets the mind in motion to start disseminating information about the status quo. This is one of the reasons why the Bush Regime, with the help of the duopoly passed undemocratic legislation: for self-protection.
Speaking of the weather. Living in California, I love the winter best and the rainy season which helps clear the air and turn the hills green.
I like the little poem, J, and the quote from the Dalai Lama.
Peacman:
Small world. Back in the late sixties I used to get up in the hills above Berkeley to watch the sun set behind the Golden Gate.
The world remains relatively insane but stay tuned for miraculous mutations !
JConrad;
It is a small world. I go up to Berkeley several times a year. The hills are still nice as are the Oakland Hills.
I’m waiting for those miraculous mutations. They can’t come to soon.
The best to you. P.S. I’ve got to check the comments on the Berkeley article about the protesters.
I’d probably kill myself, too, if I realized I was killing and torturing innocent people for no reason other than to make the greedy rich imperialists richer.
I know some “innocent bystanders” who are on the edge