Military Suicides Rising

Soldier Iraq War Repeated long tours of duty blamed for highest military suicide levels since record keeping began

by Associated Press

Published: Thu, January 29, 2009 - 10:49 am CST Last Updated: Thu, January 29, 2009 - 10:52 am CST

WASHINGTON (AP) - Defense officials say suicide among U.S.
soldiers increased again last year and is at a nearly three-decade
high.
The Army plans to announce figures later Thursday, but senior
officials told The Associated Press that at least 128 soldiers
killed themselves last year.
And the final count will likely be considerably higher than that
because more than a dozen other suspicious deaths are still being
investigated and could also turn out to be self-inflicted.
In 2007, the number was 115 - the highest since record keeping
began in 1980.
Officials say troops are under unprecedented stress because of
repeated and long tours of duty due to the simultaneous wars in
Iraq and Afghanistan.

(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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Tank_Girl20 Says:

Thu, Jan 29, 2009 at 2:19 pm

And I respect the families of those people, who stood the test of true strength and courage to stick by them through it all.
It’s a shame that we live in a world where the governments can’t fight their own battles. So they send our fathers, mothers, brothers and sisters out to do it for them.

Should any military, retired or active, read this. I just want to say two words to you.

Thank you.

And a personal opinion in regards to the government officials all across the United States….

You should all get on your knees and pucker up…. and kiss each soldier’s butt on both cheeks. They don’t get the respect they deserve for what they have to endure so you can sleep easy at night.

God bless our Soldiers and I pray they all come back to a country that will allow them to enjoy the freedom and respect THEY EARNED.

Tank_Girl20 Says:

Thu, Jan 29, 2009 at 2:07 pm

A short story,
My grandfather was at Pearl Harbor the day it was bombed.
My father served in Vietnam, to this day has shrapnel in his body.
My brother is currently serving in Iraq and has been there several times before.
Now… my father is a retired Army veteran and would you believe, that he is no longer given free eye care at the ON BASE hospital? It’s now ONLY for active duty. They’ve actually taken away quite a few things from retired military, but personally…. is “Joe Schmoe” gonna be considered active military forever? No. One day he’ll be out and be “retired”. Let’s say he served in Iraq and was bombed and a piece of shrapnel had damaged a nerve that, over time, began to cause further damage. Will they treat him for any problems that occur because of his wound, since he’s retired? I hate the idea of war, regardless, but I respect the men and women who have fought, those who died and those who still live with that past…

rolltider Says:

Thu, Jan 29, 2009 at 11:18 am

God Bless them. I pray for everyone of their safe returns. They need help when they return from a combative area for such a long time. Their tours are long and hard. I salute the soldiers.

Sirk Says:

Thu, Jan 29, 2009 at 11:02 am

This is sad. I think more support of the people in military is needed. They come home and are faced with hatred everywhere and made to feel like they are dirt. Even if you don’t support the war, you should support the soldiers and always put on a positive attitude in front of them.

They also need more counseling when they come home. You know the things they have to face during times of war can be horrible and they need to be able to talk about these feelings and receive the proper treatment.

They are protecting our freedom whether we agree with it or not.