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Since 2008, military suicides have exceeded combat deaths in Afghanistan, according to Armed Forces Medical Examiner.
Deaths in Iraq and Afghanistan are a much publicized affair. The world knows when a helicopter goes down or people die in a firefight, often allowing us to rationalize their sacrifice. It’s the men and women we lose at home who baffle us all. This year you can help prevent the biggest killer of veterans — suicide.
In this first 155 days of 2012, 154 active duty troops have committed suicide. Combat casualties in Afghanistan during that span total about less than half that, according to Pentagon statistics.
Based on figured from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner, the 2012 active duty suicide total is up 18 percent compared to the same time period last year. This year’s January to May total is up 25 percent from two years ago.
Since 2008, military suicides have exceeded combat deaths in Afghanistan, despite a new push to encourage troops to seek help with mental health problems. Military members often believe that seeking physical or mental help is a sign of weakness and a potential threat to advancement.
The reasons for the massive increase aren’t fully understood. The military believes that an increased burden from wartime demands, on two separate battlefields, could be the major cause. There are reports of increased sexual assaults and other misconduct down range. And alcohol and domestic abuse are occurring more frequently when soldiers return home.
Studies show that lengthy combat tours have begun to take their toll on service members. Many never address post-traumatic stress before reintegrating into family life. Others go home to face family or financial problems. Some are dealing with traumatic brain injuries.
The statistics, while useful, also display an entirely different view. A substantial portion of the suicides are committed by soldiers who have never deployed, leaving researchers with more questions than answers.
It seems that senior military officers aren’t always on the same page with the troops they are leading.
A senior Army general recently told soldiers considering suicide to “act like an adult.” Another high-ranking official, Maj. Gen. Dana Pittard, commander of the 1st Armored Division, wrote in his own Army blog: “I have now come to the conclusion that suicide is an absolutely selfish act. I am personally fed up with soldiers who are choosing to take their own lives so that others can clean up their mess. Be an adult, act like an adult, and deal with your real-life problems like the rest of us.”
This doesn’t encapsulate every leadership view, but it shows that even members of our military hold certain stigmas when it comes to suicide.
The Armed Services now offer confidential telephone hotlines, more mental health specialists on the battlefield and additional training on stress management. But that doesn’t mean they’re used to the fullest extent.
A big way to combat veteran suicide is to watch out for your battle buddy. Talk to your loved ones. Even if you don’t notice a change in their personality, let them know you are there every day and that you’re always willing to listen. Of all the veterans I’ve talked to, the No. 1 factor in their depression is the absence of having someone to listen to their worries. You don’t have to have all the answers; you just have to be willing to hear what they have to say.
People over at Operation: Zeus know exactly what it’s like to lose friends to suicide and decided to do something about it. They started a nonprofit organization to raise awareness about the issue, and veterans can even join in by making a pact on video. The pact states: “I will not take my own life by my own hand; until I talk to my Battle-buddy first. My mission is to find a mission and to help my Warfighter family.”
While the wording could be a little better, the idea behind it is what matters. Ask for help, be a battle buddy in return, and never take the path of suicide. Regardless of your branch or duty status, let someone know you need help.
In 2012, we need to take a stand against veteran suicide. I challenge you to be a listener and a battle buddy.
Photo thanks to Flickr and The National Guard
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26 Comments
Until you have lived with and watched your once completely normal happy go lucky responsible and very supportive husband/ veteran deal with PTSD and numerous other medical conditions you have no clue even I didn’t til the past year and a half. Its not only hard for the veteran but his family also!
You’re quite right. It’s hard on every person surrounding the veteran.
Cwilson576, you are correct. You must live it, to understand it. My husband passed away in January 2010 from ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease) at the age of 45. He also suffered from PTSD as well as other medical conditions. It took several conversations with him, over a perios of a year to get him to agree to seek medical attention for PTSD.
I pray that all goes well for your family.
My husband has agreed to go to counseling if he or I notice any alterations in his personality when he get’s back. I’m not going to let this war ruin our lives!!!!
Glad you decided not to go it alone. I am still learning about resources to help my son. PTSD is a cloud threatening to overcome the family everyday. With help we are managing to work through it.
My son is a combat medic. You are so right. I begged my son not to join the Army. My father suffered from PTSD for the rest of his life after WWII. My son was also happy and loving. He would run across the street just to hug an old person. The soldier who came home from Iraq suffered a TBI when his hummer hit an IED and flipped like a pop can in the wind. He was the only medic in the convoy so he still had to do his job. Now, his wife is trying to put him back together. She loves him so much and refuses to give up on him. I wish even a small portion of the people who claim to support our troops would actually do it when they return home. I pray for you, you are not alone…..please do not give up
While generals opine about the lack of adult behavior it’s unlikely that they will or in most cases have faced the same environment that their soldiers face every day. Helplessness is the most likely candidate. The Army is beaten up and can only look forward to another deployment. ARFORGEN got a lot of folks promoted in the Army; it works for Navy. Unfortunately, ships are not soldiers.
I agree with Paladin. The brass really need to know what it’s all about and witness the lives or our soldiers before making asinine remarks about growing up. Maybe there should be more federally backed programs for these people in need. More participation is needed by the government. Learn how to respect and recognize the needs of our service men and woman, not criticize/
This is a topic that I have been following and hope to get involved in a solution at some point. As a Veteran I have an idea of the experience of being deployed and the stresses that are associated it. But it must be noted that not all who are deployed suffer PTSD or other extraordinary behavior. It is very troubling that suicides are on the rise, but we are missing something about the soldiers and a Marines that are doing this. I was initially wrong in my conjecture that a direction relation existed between deployment and PTSD with suicide. That is not the case as this essay showed. Is it possible that some of these young men had a predisposition to suicide and probably should not be in the service. Again, I want to part of the solution to this; a great deal of healing needs to happen.
MB
Anch, AK
I do believe it is possible that some of these soldiers enlisted with a predisposition to suicide and the added stress of basic training and following all the military “rules” pushes them further over the edge. I sometimes wonder if the screening process is lacking due to either staff shortage or unqualified personnel screening people. I think that there are a number possible causes and it is a situation that needs further looking into. Is it possible that some people were allowed to “slide” due to enlistments being down and the military trying to reach quotas? Hopefully the military can come up with some definitive answers and combat suicide!
Tina – as a licensed mental health counselor who is working directly with the military and their families, I can tell you that I was more than a little surprised to learn (from soldiers themselves) that there was little or no inquiry into their psychiatric history before inducting them into the military. I naturally assumed that for such a stress and danger-laden occupation as being a soldier during wartime, the military would want to do a comprehensive screen for psychological issues prior to enlisting a soldier in the military – I was wrong! While this certainly isn’t the main contributing factor in the rise in suicide rates, I would be willing to bet that what the military inherited in terms of people with psychological issues (or a predisposition to same) plays at least some part in the sad statistics we are reading about here. Also – a heartfelt thank you to all of you who are serving or have served our country and your families.
How do help with your challenge. I am a Veteran US Army 1991 I live in Kansas City MO, I can tell you the biggest problem in my town is the VA hospital it’s self and getting treatment. I volunteer with different agencies I would like to help in what ever way I can. gormankathleen91!yahoo.com
The army puts their head in the sand when a spouse says there is something wrong with their significant other until something happens at work or they try to hurry themselves. Besides battle buddies spouses, girlfriends, boyfriends, & family should be listened to. You would think that living on the army post with the highest suicide rate that soldiers, families & officers would be better trained to handle this.
I am a disabled Navy Veteran and I can now openly say that I have been there, attempted suicide while I was in the Navy but I was so fortunate to have a great friend (who was also a Navy Doctor) be there for me. I strongly believe that we all need to reach out to our fellow Veterans and let them know we care. I would love to be a buddy to someone who feels like they are at that point. I can be there for them and I will understand exactly how they feel. I also suffer from PTSD from the Marine Barracks bombing in Beirut Lebanon in October 1983. I helped pick up the body parts. If anyone needs a buddy to talk to I am right here. If you are interested I will send you my email address and phone #.
You are awesome Bob! It is people like you that I will be looking for when I start my non-profit to help veterans! I believe only veterans can fully understand what other veterans have to deal with! I hope somebody sees your messages and take you up on your generous offer to be their buddy!
I am currently working on my B.A. in Psychology, and eventually my Masters as well, so that I can help veterans. I fully intend to start a non-profit that will help jobless and homeless veterans with mental health issues such as PTSD and TBI. I am a non-combat veteran, but suffer PTSD from a sexual assault while I was serving in Germany. I have been suicidal myself and nearly succeeded 6 years ago. I know how helplessness feels. I have a great support group of friends now who help me through the rough times…I want to help other veterans fond that kind of understanding and support!
Suicide is not a self fish act; and you can’t tell someone on the verge of suicide to act like an adult. Someone who is thinking of committing suicide is because of their pride and their mean of living is either stolen or lost. Therefore, they need help to gain back their pride and mean of living. Instead of assisting these service members with resources for them to get back and stand tall again, they get to send back into the shit whole where death is so imminent, which makes them think death is the only way out for everything. These Generals need to put themselves in the shoes of committed suicide military members, in order to understand them.
You are so right. Every thing you have written is so correct. These Generals and those in the Pentegon need to come out of their offices and be in the front lines. Everthing they order a soldier to do they should do themselves. They should be leading the troops out in front. Maybe their orders would be a whole lot different when they are putting themselves in danger. I wonder how many of them got their promotions during peace time?
I am a vet. I a m not a combat vet. I served in peace time or was never directly involved in any combat situations,I don’t know if the feelings, an thought I have are related to PTSD. I sometimes feel a heave stress that is sometimes over welling. I am in a alcohol treatment program for vets but I have not really look at or have I sot help for depression. I have had thought of suicide but thanks to were I am it helps. I have to leave here soon, an I prey that my mental heath is in a stable condition.
You never saw combat??? what are you depressed about?! Get it together!!!
I never saw combat either, but I was sexually assaulted and got a concussion from having my head bashed into a brick wall…my attacker was never charged! I have had many issues as a result of my attack…depression, anxiety, bouts with alcohol…20+ years later I still have nightmares and can’t be in crowded places without a panic attack. There are MANY reasons a person can have these feelings, regardless of whether they served in combat or not!
Non-vet, my bro served 20, domestic abuse survivor.
End this war and stop sending soldiers multiple times!!!!!
How do I become a listener and a battle buddy? I am a veteran who supports all those who have served and would be honored to help out a fellow vet.
Let me know how I can help!
I am not in the military . I do have a nephew who is a Army Ranger. I am very proud to be an American. I can’t compare what I have gone through with PTSD. But I do no a small amout about this serious condition. First thing is I would not seek help if it were called Mental help. Where I go it is called Behavioral Heath. Just helps not thinking you have a mental issuse. I have anxiety , bad anxiety. I am seen by a doctor for it . The most heipful thing for me is they call it Behavioral health. The sigma of haveing mental issues is dawnting . Maybe some change in the military mental community might draw more of our service people to ask and recieve help.
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