Who Will Speak For Them Now?

The numbers speak for those who cannot speak for themselves anymore.

AFGHANISTAN 

FATALITIES

2010 499

2011 418

2012 310

2013 127

2014 55

2015 22

2016 14

2017 15

2018 1

IRAQ 

FATALITIES

2010 60

2011 54

2012 1

2014 3

2015 6

2016 17

2017 17

2010 Military Suicides

The AFMES indicates that 295 Service Members died by suicide in 2010 

(Air Force = 59, Army = 160, Marine Corps = 37, Navy = 39).

2011 Military Suicides

The AFMES indicates that 301 Service Members died by suicide in 2011 (Air Force = 50, Army = 167, Marine Corps = 32, Navy = 52). This number includes deaths strongly suspected to be suicides that are pending final determination. DoDSER Points of Contact (POCs) submitted reports for 100% of AFMES confirmed 2011 suicides (Air Force = 46, Army = 159, Marine Corps = 31, Navy = 51) as of the data extraction date (26 April 2012). 

A total of 915 Service Members attempted suicide in 2011 (Air Force = 241, Army = 432, Marine Corps = 156, Navy = 86). 

DoDSERs were submitted for 935 suicide attempts (Air Force = 251, Army = 440, Marine Corps = 157, Navy = 87). Of the 915 Service Members who attempted suicide, 896 had one attempt, 18 had two attempts, and 1 had three attempts.

2012 Military Suicides

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 activated 2 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%). 

A total of 841 Service members had one or more attempted suicides reported in DoDSER for CY 2012. Below we provide summary statistics on several variables for all DoD suicide and suicide attempt DoDSERs.

2013 Military Suicides

Number of confirmed and pending suicides for CY 2013, as of June 30, 2014 Active 259  Reserve 220

 

DoDSERs across the four included Services was as follows: Air Force-43 (17.6%), Army-115 (46.9%), Marine Corps-45 (18.4%), and Navy-42 (17.1%). These counts included reports for both confirmed suicides and probable suicides pending a final determination. 

A total of 1,034 SMs had one or more attempted suicides reported in the DoDSER for CY 2013

2014 Military Suicides

Active Component Air Force 60 Army 122  Marine Corps 34  Navy 53  Reserve Component All Reserve 80  All National Guard 89 

A total of 1,126 suicide attempts were reported from the four Services. 

The last quarterly report from the DOD has the charts. Go here to read more of the report, but pretty much this sums it all up.

And for all the suicides, plus attempted suicides, none of the "awareness raisers" ever bother to mention any of this. 

After all, why should they? No one holds them accountable for using a number without reading the reports anyway.

So who will speak for them now? Will you ask reporters to find the facts? Will you ask members of Congress to actually investigate any of this? Will you confront the "awareness raisers" about what they are doing besides just talking about a number?

Will you speak for those we already lost, before more are lost for our silence?