The real reason behind military suicides

Wounded Times
Kathie Costos
April 27, 2014

When they survive combat but can't live long enough to heal, there is a reason behind it.

A year ago I published THE WARRIOR SAW, SUICIDES AFTER WAR covering the under reported facts surrounding the reasons behind military suicides. Every report in it was taken from news reports on Wounded Times. None of it was secret information but most of what is in it had been ignored.

Comprehensive Soldier Fitness was pushed on every member of the military since 2009 yet afterwards, suicides and attempted suicides increased. This finding came at the same time efforts to reduce suicides were at an all time high. More and more military folks were seeking help as well as more veterans. It also came with a hefty price financially.

While reporters repeated what military brass and elected officials were telling them, on this side of the fence, what veterans were saying showed the reason behind the rise in their suffering.

When officials say they are doing something to address the problems but things get worse, it robs these men and women of hope they can heal. When they do not get the best help available, they lose the thought their lives really matter.

The following is from the Department of Defense Suicide Event Report and for 2012 military suicide report While the report was "generated on December 20, 2013, it has just been released.
Results

According to AFMES data as of 31 March 2013, there were 319 suicides among Active component Service members and 203 among Reserve component Services members (Reserve [n = 73]; National Guard [n = 130].

The suicide rate (per 100,000 Service members) for the Active component was 22.7 and for the Reserve component was 24.2 (Reserve – 19.3, National Guard – 28.1). Per policy, the DoDSER system collected data on suicides for all Service members in an Active status at the time of death, including Service members in the Reserve components (i.e., active or activated2 Reserve/National Guard).

The distribution of suicide DoDSERs across the four included Services was as follows: Air Force – 57 (17.9%), Army – 155 (48.7%), Marine Corps – 47 (14.8%), and Navy – 59 (18.6%).

These counts included reports for both confirmed suicides and probable suicides pending a final determination. Of these suicides, 259 were confirmed by AFMES as of 31 January 2013, the date used for the evaluation of DoDSER submission compliance. For 2012, all Services achieved 100% submission compliance.

A total of 841 Service members had one or more attempted suicides reported in DoDSER for CY 2012

This part is very troubling considering it points out that many of them had been diagnosed and sought help for "mental health" issues, in other words, PTSD in most cases.

The primary method for suicides was the use of a firearm (n = 207; 65.1%). The majority of firearms used were non-military issued firearms (n = 157; 75.8% of events involving a firearm). For suicide attempt DoDSERs, the use of drugs was the most frequently reported method (n = 476; 54.8%).

•A total of 91 suicide DoDSERS (28.6%) and 191 suicide attempt DoDSERs (22.0%) reported that the Service member had communicated potential for self-harm prior to the event.

•A total of 134 suicide DoDSERs (42.1%) and 452 suicide attempt DoDSERs (52.0%) indicated a history of a behavioral health diagnosis. The most frequently reported diagnosis among the suicide DoDSERs was adjustment disorder (n = 82; 61.2% of DoDSERs with a behavioral health diagnosis); among sui- cide attempt DoDSERs, the most common diagnostic category was mood disorder (n = 293; 64.8% of DoDSERs with a behavioral health diagnosis).

•A majority of DoDSERs for both suicides (n = 194; 61.0%) and suicide attempts (n = 588; 67.7%) specified that the Service member had accessed health and/or support services during the 90 days prior to the event. The most frequently used services for both event types were a military treatment fa- cility (MTF; suicides [n = 177; 91.2% of DoDSERs in which access was reported]; suicide attempts [n = 446; 75.9% of DoDSERs in which access was reported]) and outpatient behavioral health (suicides [n = 91; 46.9% of DoDSERs in which access was reported; suicide attempts [n = 399; 67.9% of DoD- SERs in which access was reported]).

•Family and relationship stressors during the 90 days prior to the event were the most common type of stressor reported among suicide DoDSERs (n = 129; 40.6%). This type of stressor was also the most frequently reported among suicide attempt DoDSERs (n = 377; 43.4%).

•A total of 151 suicide DoDSERs (47.5%) and 312 suicide attempt DoDSERs (35.9%) reported a his- tory of deployment in support of Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF), Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF), and/or Operation New Dawn (OND).

Maybe now something will be done to change what they have been doing because one other factor to consider is that the percentage of troops seeking to end their pain has gone up, in the process, so has the suffering of family members doing whatever they can to survive.