Military suicide rate at
it's highest in 26 years 
Thursday,
August 16th, 2007
The Department of Defense has sent an advance copy of their
soon-to-be-released report on U.S. military deaths, and the report shows
that the number of suicides went up 15% between 2005 and 2006. It
is the highest suicide toll in the U.S. military since 1991, the first
year of the Persian Gulf War.
As of today, the total fatalities
of U.S. military in Iraq is 4,085.
Due to low enlistment in the armed forces,
the Pentagon extended normal deployment times to 15 months, so soldiers
are in Iraq longer, and are often sent back multiple times.
Although many veterans pinpoint repeated deployments to Iraq and
Afghanistan as being a leading cause of military suicide, the report
from the Defense Dept. states there is "limited evidence" to support
that accusation. They instead list failed relationships, legal and
financial issues, and work stress as being contributing
factors.
The U.K., however, tells a different story. The
British Medical Journal reported that soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan
are facing escalating mental health problems, alcoholism, and family
breakdown - but that prolonged periods in conflict are linked to these
higher levels of psychological distress. The Ministry of Defense
has said they are studying these facts to better address mental health
issues in the military.
Over 2,000 soliders that have served in
Iraq have signed an online "Appeal for Redress" petition to Congress, that states:
"As a
patriotic American proud to serve the nation in uniform, I respectfully
urge my political leaders in Congress to support the prompt withdrawal
of all American military forces and bases from Iraq . Staying in Iraq
will not work and is not worth the price. It is time for U.S. troops to
come home."
1. Soldier's Angels offers many ways to support the military that is
currently overseas. You can write to them, send them packages,
even "adopt a soldier." Their slogan is "May no soldier go
unloved."
2. Raise awareness.
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