for those that only read thread titles-Suicide among Iraq/Afghan Vets (ages 20-24) is 4X non-vets

I have seen a few people here ask what the suicide rate among vets from the current wars is and for those that don't have Adobe Flash 9, the video is up on Crooks and Liars

http://www.veteransforcommonsense.org/articleid/8808

At least 6,256 US veterans committed suicide in 2005 — an average of 17 a day — the network reported, with veterans overall more than twice as likely to take their own lives as the rest of the general population.

While the suicide rate among the general population was 8.9 per 100,000, the level among veterans was between 18.7 and 20.8 per 100,000.

That figure rose to 22.9 to 31.9 suicides per 100,000 among veterans aged 20 to 24 — almost four times the non-veteran average for the age group.

“Those numbers clearly show an epidemic of mental health problems,” CBS quoted veterans’ rights advocate Paul Sullivan as saying.



http://www.crooksandliars.com/2007/11/15/cbs-news-investigates-shocking-rate-of-veteran-suicides/

Part I: Courtesy Watchdog.org

Part II: Download (1187) | Play (552) Download (1126) | Play (267) (h/t Heather)

CBS News aired the results of their 5 month investigation into veteran suicides this evening and what they found was devastating. In 2005 alone, 125 veterans committed suicide each week and of the more than 88,000 vets returning from Iraq, more than 28% of them have experienced mental health problems. CBS’ Armen Keteyian talked with Paul Sullivan of Veterans For Common Sense who had this to say about the dismal system the VA has for tracking veteran suicides;

Sullivan: “We call it the don’t look, don’t find policy. If the VA doesn’t collect the data, then they don’t have to do anything about it.”

And one in four homeless are Vets. It is unfathomable to me that we demand so much from those in the military and return to them so little.

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,22762457-5005961,00.html

this story is particullaey disturbing..bu$h supports the troops ?
http://www.vermontguardian.com/dailies/022006/020806.shtml