120 US war veteran suicides a week

120 US war veteran suicides a week
Article from: Agence France-Presse

From correspondents in New York

November 15, 2007 09:47am


THE US military is experiencing a "suicide epidemic" with veterans killing themselves at the rate of 120 a week, according to an investigation by US television network CBS.

At least 6256 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.

CBS quoted the father of a 23-year-old soldier who shot himself in 2005 as saying the military did not want the true scale of the problem to be known.

more...

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

:cry: :cry:

My pain will only be eased when their commander in thief and his deputy in Vice jump out of a high rise building preferably together holding hands and on live TeeVee.

What the heck is going on here? I assume the ignoramus Republicans are just looking the other way, pretending nothing is wrong, right?

And I'm assuming rethugs are doing likewise, because they all think things are going swimmingly in Iraq and want to continue the occupation. Funny thing though, I don't feel safer, just heartsick.

We need to support the troops. Fighting them over there is useless unless you also support the troops over here!

Of course they don't.

They also don't want inconvenient stats like this one to get in the way of the "support the troops" propaganda.

about the 3,863 dead soldiers, or if that number is higher than what they are telling us, I think I heard last nite there are numbers of casualities who have not been added to that number, and could be at least 12,000 casualities what do you guys think?

these suicides. They are a result of the occupation but they're not counted. Also, does the count increase if someone is gravely injured during the occupation and later dies? I don't think so... Those are just two of how many other instances where the count isn't updated.

tried to take out unneccesary coding from view source, but failed. At least I got the hyperlinks to work here for this message

http://www.veteransforcommonsense.org/articleid/8782

Nov.13: CBS News Interviews VCS About Epidemic of Iraq War Veteran Suicides

Armen Keteyian

<a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/sections/i_video/main500251.shtml?id=3498254n" target="_blank">CBS Evening News with Katie Couric <br></a>
Nov 14, 2007

Veterans for Common Sense was featured on the CBS Evening News with Katie Couric. On November 13, Armen Keteyian, the top CBS investigative reporter, reveals an enormous epidemic of suicides among our returning Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans. CBS News has three excellent videos: the Evening News broadcast, an interview with VCS's Paul Sullivan, and an interview with veterans' families.

Veterans for Common Sense was featured on the CBS Evening News with Katie Couric.  On November 13, Armen Keteyian, the top CBS investigative reporter, reveals an enormous epidemic of suicides among our returning Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans.  CBS News has three excellent videos: <a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/sections/i_video/main500251.shtml?id=3498534n"><strong><em>the Evening News broadcast</em></strong></a><strong><em>, an </em></strong><a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/sections/i_video/main500251.shtml?id=3498254n"><strong><em>interview with VCS's Paul Sullivan</em></strong></a><strong><em>, and </em></strong><a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/sections/i_video/main500251.shtml?id=3498262n"><strong><em>an interview with veterans' families.</em></strong></a> </p>


snip

The Veteran Suicide Epidemic

NEW YORK, November 13, 2007 - (CBS News) They are the casualties of wars you don’t often hear about - soldiers who die of self-inflicted wounds. Little is known about the true scope of suicides among those who have served in the military.


..snip

and rage-inspiring because the VA has tried to turn the other cheek and ignore this epidemic.

In my crystal ball, I can see a government official commenting on the "Liberal condemnation of the war and the military" as a cause for so many suicides. Just wait and see.

In fact that's the only reason we want to bring the troops home. The sooner they get home the sooner we can spit on them.
:eyes:
:sarcasm:

There really is no favorable spin. They are better off sweeping this under the rug.

Never, ever go to war unless it is an absolute necessity to defend your country. EVER. The consequences are too horrific.

As horrid as this is, can you even imagine what the Iraqi people are going through

Idiot frat boys who start wars to make themselves feel important.....

I watched that report and what is happening is a tragedy. I must point out however that the report was about suicides among vets and did not ever specify Iraq war vets in particular or war vets in general. I was talking to the tv during this report asking how many of these were Iraq war vets.

The military is anal retentive about records. They KNOW what the breaking point is. There are guys from MY GENERATION who are STILL on the streets. They haven't yet done the gubmint the favor of dying. So they get to be 3rd class citizens in the V.A. pecking order. The SILVER-LINING in these repeated deployments with INADEQUATE R&R is to REDUCE THE EXCESS POPULATION of those who might claim benefits. I'll sign off now before I punch a hole in my monitor.

in the report the veterans organizations said they had no clue how many suicides had occured. CBS had to go to the states themselves to determine how many.

she's trying to bring the much-needed attention to this that it deserves.

these deaths should be included in the "Iraqi Death toll".

of burning babies and headless citizens, I'd blow my brains out.

The numbers are staggering here....Why oh why has this not been reported until now?????????? :wtf:

to deal with the mental problems that occur as a result of war. That's why so many become homeless, criminals, or kill themselves.

Homeless vet shoots 15 dead then turns the gun on himself. A grieving nation wonders, 'Why?'