Utah National Guards lost 2 soldiers in combat, but ten more because of it.

This is not new because people lost track of how many we lost after Vietnam. Two studies put their numbers between 150,000 and 200,000 of suicide deaths. Then you can add in the numbers of the Agent Orange deaths to get a better understanding of how large the Vietnam Memorial Wall in Washington would really have to be to honor all the lives lost because of Vietnam. While losing more after combat than during it, is not new, the numbers are early can coming faster. The worst part about this is that Army Secretary Pete Geren doesn't have a clue why. How many years do the people in charge need before they understand what we already know?

Suicide claiming more Utah Guard members than combat
Rising numbers » Military responding with increased social workers, counselors.
By Matthew D. LaPlante

The Salt Lake Tribune

Updated: 02/03/2009 06:18:20 PM MST


Since 2005, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have cost the lives of two soldiers from the Utah National Guard.

Suicide has claimed 10.

In response to an alarming increase of suicide in its ranks, the military has hired a virtual army of social workers, mental health professionals and suicide-prevention counselors to work with its members. But for the fourth consecutive year, the Army has reported an increase in the number of soldiers it has lost to suicide. At least 128 soldiers took their own lives in 2008 - - --- and that number could rise, as 15 other deaths remain under investigation.

"Why do the numbers keep going up? We cannot tell you," said Army Secretary Pete Geren. "But we can tell you that across the Army, we're committed to doing everything we can to address the problem."

In response to the rising numbers, the Army will conduct a 30-day "stand-down" starting Feb. 15, which will include training for members to recognize behaviors among their peers that may lead to suicide.

Utah National Guard officials said they are awaiting guidance on how to conduct that program, but will continue education and training efforts that seem to have helped to decrease suicide among their ranks in the past four years.

The Utah guard lost three soldiers to suicide in 2005, four in 2006, one in 2007 and two in 2008. Officials said statistics from prior years were unavailable because the Guard's personnel officers didn't track suicides separately from other deaths until 2005, but at least one soldier killed himself in 2004 while on duty in Afghanistan with the 211th Aviation Battalion.
click link for more