Military suicides continue to explode

Military suicides have reached a 30-year high, according to a story published Thursday in the New York Times. In 2008, 128 soldiers killed themselves, with 15 additional deaths awaiting a final cause.
This grim picture becomes even more so when the Army declared its suicide rate has surpassed that of civilians, a macabre zenith not seen since the Vietnam war.
The reasons are myriad, from financial pressures to personal, legal and job-related difficulties.
An interesting dimension to the statistics: Thirty percent of the suicides took place during deployment and thirty-five percent afterwards. Another 35% of those who successfully suicided had never deployed.Sphere: Related Content
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Veterans Suicide Hotline: 55,000 Served

As if there was ever any question that military service can take a profound psychological toll on those who serve our country, these statistics released by CBS News today offered a sobering reminder.

The Department of Veterans Affairs suicide hot line has logged some 55,469 calls in the first six months of 2008. At the beginning of the year, about 21,000 people had used the service. CBS also obtained data showing where the calls originated. Texas came in first place with 2102 calls, followed by California with 2088 calls, then Florida with 1250 calls, and in fourth place Massachusetts with 1051 calls.

Of the total calls, 22,044 identified themselves as vets. About 2966 identified themselves as family or friends of veterans.

Whether or not we agree with the military actions taken by the United States, the men and women serving our country deserve every bit of support we can possibly give them.

PHOTO: SERGEI KRASSII

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