Military Suicides Booming

[liveonearth]

The Pentagon began tracking active duty military suicides in 2001. They begin rising in 2006, soared in 2009 then leveled. Military suicides hit a record high in 2012. Exceeded combat deaths in Afghanistan in 2012. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta calls it an epidemic. All branches are suffering.

Comments

[madman101]

For the first time - today - I heard someone reporting that the incidence of suicide in the military is pretty much the same as in the gen pop. If that don't beat all. Or maybe that is only a recent development. Huh. Maybe more whitewash tho of course.

[liveonearth]

I was contemplating that in active military duty, it's not easy to tell when a passive suicide has happened. All a soldier needs to do is take one extra chance and boom, it's all over.

I theorize that soldiers have historically been a happy lot because they have a mission and a tribe. That the rate is approaching that of us lousy civilians is a sad thing.

[madman101]

ha - very interesting

thanks