Army announces March suicide numbers

http://www.armytimes.com/news/2010/04/army_suicides_041410w/">Army announces March suicide numbers
By Michelle Tan - mtan@militarytimes.com
Posted : Thursday Apr 15, 2010 6:10:11 EDT

As many as 13 active-duty soldiers killed themselves in March, the Army announced Wednesday.

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The Army has seen its suicide numbers increase in the last five years.

Last year was a record year for the Army, with 160 active-duty suicides and 82 among reserve component soldiers who were not on active duty at the time of their deaths.

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So far this year, from Jan. 1 to March 31, 39 active-duty soldiers killed themselves compared with 53 during the same period in 2009. However, the number for soldiers not on active duty is up, from 23 during the first three months of 2009 to 32 this year.

the same population not in the military. Same age, ethnicity, education, etc.

Makes a big diff if the numbers are lower in military than civilian but increasing or if the numbers are higher in the military than in the civilian and increasing.

That's a concern of mine. We hear precious little about the plight of those who have served several tours in that meat grinder and their overall mental, physical and economic situations. You figure in this bad economy it can't be too rosy for someone coming out of the military and trying to fend in the "real world". We saw a slow attrition among Vietnam veterans who couldn't escape the horrors of their war experience...many living inside for years afterwards that would lead to a slow decline...alcoholism, drug abuse, divorce and other problems that led to those people having a higher suicide rate than the population on the whole.

25% of veterans will become incarcerated.

25% of veterans will be homeless.

Depleted uranium (the 21^st century Agent Orange) will make its way felt.

It's not going to be very prety.