Military suicides in UK cause for alarm

Soldier suicides: Two deaths and eight self-harm incidents at Ballykinler Army barracks probed
Belfast Telegraph
BY CLAIRE WILLIAMSON
28 OCTOBER 2013

There are fears for the welfare of isolated soldiers in a Northern Ireland Army barracks after two suspected suicides.

Two veterans of Afghanistan, Lance-Corporal James Ross (30) and Rifleman Darren Mitchell (20) died at Ballykinler, Co Down.

Eight incidents of self-harm were recorded at the base over a seven-month period, where many of the 565 troops are housed in single rooms.

Reports of heavy drinking and restricted movements due to dissident republican threats, have exacerbated feelings of loneliness.

A sister of one soldier who died the day before he was to report to Ballykinler in 2011 has branded the base "ridiculously isolated".

Abigail Smith's brother, Afghanistan veteran Allan Arnold (20) was found hanged in his native Cirencester, Gloucestershire two years ago – the day before he was due back at Ballykinler.

Ms Smith (24), called the base "a ridiculously isolated barracks. The signal is rubbish for mobile phones, so you can't talk to family much. What concerns me is the lack of care the lads receive."
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PTSD report finds veterans from disadvantaged backgrounds most at risk
Wales Online
David Williamson
28 Oct 2013

Forces Watch report calls for the minimum age of recruitment to be raised to 18 to avoid exposing the youngest soldiers to the most trauma

Plaid Cymru parliamentary leader Elfyn Llwyd has called everyone leaving the armed forces to be vetted for mental problems following the disturbing findings of a major report published today.

The Dwyfor Meirionnydd MP wants mental health issues identified as soon as possible so “catastrophic consequences” can be avoided.

Today’s report from Forces Watch claims that young soldiers from disadvantaged backgrounds are more likely to suffer from mental health problems.

It found that younger recruits were significantly more likely than older personnel to suffer post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD); to drink at levels harmful to health; and to behave violently on their return from war.

The report calls for the minimum age of recruitment to be raised to 18 to avoid exposing the youngest soldiers to the most trauma.

The Fellowship of Reconciliation has previously petitioned the National Assembly to urge the Welsh Government to “recommend that the armed forces should not go into schools to recruit.”

The Forces Watch report claims 8% of Iraq war veterans who enlisted without GCSEs suffered with PTSD after their deployment, compared with 4% in the armed forces as a whole and 3% in the general population.
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