U.S. Army Suicide Rate Climbs

(Thumbnail image from Press TV)

“It could be far more than all the American forces killed in combat in Afghanistan last year.  140 active duty U.S. Army suicides so far in 2009.  Last year the toll was 143.  This year could see 160 if the trend continues, and there have been 71 suspected suicides in the Army Reserve and National Guard. 211 dead with a month and a half to go in the year.” (MSNBC)

With U.S. Army suicide rates the highest they’ve been in 26 years, media sources are examining the reasons behind the rise and what the army is doing to deal with mental health problems among soldiers.

We are looking at perspectives from Russia Today, PRESS TV, CNN, KRDO and IPS News.

In an interview with Russia Today, American Iraq war veteran Adam Kokesh says the reason for the rise of suicides could be due to a lack of direction and support from back home.

“And what we now have in Iraq and Afghanistan are these open-ended commitments, these undeclared wars where we are occupying the countries. The mission is unclear, and that greatly contributes in and of itself to the stress of the service, where they are facing all the stresses of normal combat, but without a single cause behind it or sense of righteousness of what they are doing that gives them comfort.”

Press TV examines how the length of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan factors into the rising rates of suicide.  

“Top army generals worry that sending tens of thousands of new troops to Afghanistan, the move that President Obama is considering this month, could increase the strain felt by many military personnel after years of repeated deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan.”

“The stress created by this back to back deployments, to your family and your personal life adds another layer of stress.”

CNN reports that General Peter Chiarelli says one of the main concerns is the lack of military mental health personnel. Even those who can get help don’t always do so for fear of being stigmatized.

But an ABC affiliate in Colorado Springs talks to a group of mothers whose sons died in the military.  They say the Army is making progress in how it helps soldiers in distress.

“I think their efforts are getting better. It's hard for any of us to understand what it's like for those soldiers over there to have a target on their back 24 hours a day 7 days a week.”

In an interview with IPS News, an Iraq war veteran and founder of a soldier's advocacy group said he knows of several suicides that have gone unreported. He asserts that because the Army underreports how many suicides actually occur, the problem is even worse than the numbers show.

“I definitely believe there are more than these. If this is what they've hidden from us that we know of, we can rest assured there are many, many more than this. We filed a FOIA [Freedom of Information Act] to get information from them [Army], but they bog you down in red tape.”

So, what’s the real issue at work here? And what else should be done to help soldiers dealing with mental health issues?

Writer: David Goldstein, Milena Jerkov

Producer: Paige Pridchardt