Army Reports Suicide Spike In May

(CBS)  Potential Army suicides more than doubled in May compared to the previous month and are up significantly for 2009, according the U.S. Defense Department.

The Army reported one confirmed suicide and 16 potential cases among active-duty soldiers last month. In April, there were a total of eight cases - three confirmed and five still under investigation, according to the Pentagon.

In all, there have been 82 reported suicides in 2009 - 45 confirmed, 37 pending review. During the same period in 2008, there were 51 cases among soldiers.

In January, the Army implemented a branch-wide effort to deal with the growing number of suicides, including the creation of a suicide prevention task force and the hiring of more counselors.

"We have got to do better," Army Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Peter W. Chiarelli said in a statement. "It's clear we have not found full solutions to this yet. But we are trying every remedy and seeking help from outside agencies that are experts in suicide prevention. There isn't a reasonable suicide prevention tool out there the Army won't potentially employ."

The spike in suicides is also seen among reservists not on active duty. In 2009, there have been 37 cases - 16 confirmed and 21 potential - compared to 23 suicides for the same period in 2008.

"As hard as this problem truly is, in some ways it is also very basic, because it requires caring for soldiers, and that's something we already know how to do," said Brig. Gen. Colleen McGuire, director, Army Suicide Prevention Task Force. "We must simultaneously get back to basics and optimize current programs to set conditions for future programs to tackle this problem."

The report on suicides follows comments by the top U.S. war zone commander in the Middle East that violence hit an all-time high in Afghanistan last week.

Gen. David Petraeus told an audience at the Washington think-tank Center for a New American Security Thursday that "there are still tough times ahead" in the region. He also admitted that Afghan security had deteriorated over the last two years.

[milspouse]

did it ever cross someone's mind that these soliders are spending more time on the front line then being with thier family. the army says the deployements are being brought down to 12months and then that soliders can stay home for a year, but that doesnt happend. because soliders move to other units and get deployed again because the new unit doesnt care that the new solider that just moved in has just gotten back, because they have been told they need to be mission ready and have to deploy. and when the soliders complain they just write it off and tell them to get over it. after the solider finally does come home he is told its time to get back to work after having 30days off. the army said you have had enough time with family now its time to get ready for redeployment , so the training would start all over again. the pressure is there an when you complain it doesnt get any easier. so people who think that you can just go and tell them you have it so wrong. the army may say its taking care of its own all its doing is givng soliders happy pills to get them thru the next deployment. the higher ranking are just worried about thier numbers not thier soliders.

[jwesel1]

Things the Army could do to lower suicide rates:

Stop lying to the men, stick with standard tours and enlistments, move troublemakers out of units to "special duty", pay them on time, stop trying to cheat them out of their money, provide the medical care you owe them and stop trying to bill them for it!

Posted by stn_sage at 3:55 AM : Jun 12, 2009
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Or a better way would be to stop sending them to republicon invented wars. After killing civilians, they can't stand the guilty feeling and kill themselves.

[TPS2]

It's too bad these poor uneducated people have to be taken advantage of by the big American corporations and the government they own. The ones who suffer are the people who are desperate or are tricked into joining up and their families.
Posted by noloyalisti

http://www.heritage.org/research/nationalsecurity/cda05-08.cfm

[Dgunner]

The human mind is not hardwired to pet kitties with one hand and skin a dog with the other. Either enlist and train killers and stay away from the mommas boys who join the military because they fail at everything else or quit acting so surprised when your kid guns his or her self. Papions playing soldier doesn't do a d-mn thing but get REAL soldiers killed.

[bigsk8fan]

much better for the army and our servicemen to have a new commander in chief.

the last one sucked.

[stn_sage]

Things the Army could do to lower suicide rates:

Stop lying to the men, stick with standard tours and enlistments, move troublemakers out of units to "special duty", pay them on time, stop trying to cheat them out of their money, provide the medical care you owe them and stop trying to bill them for it!

You know---just the "little things"---that lead to frustration, that leads to depression, that leads to violence and/or suicide.

[johninpennsyl]

Theres no truth in advertising in those commercials to join up. They act like its going to be a camping trip with your buddies and get paid for college,too.
They should have to show all the people without legs or faces,and then let the kids make a decision on joining.

[harpoot]

"Kinda takes away the honor of serving your country ..."

Honor of serving your country??? LMAO Is that how they get these refugees from the Golden Arches to enlist?? Talk about a low IQ.

[nextgenman09]

Nah, I think its because they see their fellow Americans are selling them out, not backing them up. Calling them pawns in a political game. Threatening to release new pictures of crimes from other soldiers years ago. Kinda takes away the honor of serving your country when your country has turned its back on you.
Posted by McHineguy at 11:12 PM : Jun 11, 2009
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That's not it. Give it some more thought.

[ibsteve2u]

Too many forced tours, too much "stop loss"...

I do not believe that morale can be anything but shattered by having your own government blur the the line between serving your country and serving time in a mobile prison.