News Corp Australia Network
Ian McPhedran
September 15, 2015
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| Lost too soon ... Former navy sailor Stuart Addison committed suicide in February 2012. Picture: Supplied |
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| Stop the tragedies ... Former soldier Aaron Gray from Bomaderry, NSW. Picture: SuppliedSource:Supplied |
A TRAGIC spike in suicides among serving and former military personnel has prompted Defence Chief Mark Binskin to launch a high-level review of suicide in the defence force.
The sad record of suicides linked to military service has been broken already in 2015 with 22 serving and former military personnel taking their own lives so far surpassing the 19 deaths in 2014. According to the convener of the Australian Veterans Suicide Register former Army Gunner Aaron Gray, three more names were added to the terrible list this week taking the total to at least 218 since 1986.
The 2015 list is divided between the Navy with 12, the Army with seven and the RAAF with three. Mr Gray said there was a definite problem developing in the navy with a dangerous spike in suicide numbers.
A serving sailor who asked not to be named told News Corp that absence from home, marriage breakdown and drug use were key elements of the problem in the Royal Australian Navy. “The high operational tempo takes a toll not just on the sailor but on their family as well,” he said.
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| At a loss ... The veteran husband and father of this family attempted suicide four weeks ago by taking a cocktail of prescription drugs and alcohol. Picture: Jamie HansonSource:News Corp Australia |
“You cannot properly examine a person’s mental state during a one hour interview,” he said. “Before I was treated for PTSD I thought it was a weakness.
“Because of the defence attitude I denied it for seven years because I did not want to lose my job.
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