Military suicides from 2012 more than entire Vietnam War?

Military suicides from 2012 more than entire Vietnam War?
Wounded Times
Kathie Costos
July 16, 2013

We can pretend all of this is new. That somehow young men and women entering into the military are more prone to suicide, or whatever excuse the military has been offering so far, but excuses do not explain what is going on.

Military suicide problem hits home at MacDill
Tampa Tribune
By Howard Altman
Tribune Staff
Published: July 15, 2013

Douglas Caldas was the life of any party, according to his brother and girlfriend, a guy who could bring two disparate groups together just by pulling off a joke. He was a hard worker with track record of success at his job.

But on Friday, the Air Force senior airman from New Jersey, who had been stationed at MacDill Air Force Base for four years, stabbed himself to death, according to the Hillsborough County Medical Examiner's Office. Caldas, one of more than 100 confirmed military suicides so far this year, was 25.

Suicide is a problem the military is struggling to handle. There were 488 confirmed military suicides around the globe last year and another 27 suspected, compared with 298 deaths in combat. The trend is continuing this year - 102 confirmed and 66 suspected suicides, compared with 75 combat deaths, according to figures compiled by the Tribune last month from records kept by the individual services.

Last year, the Pentagon introduced a suicide prevention plan that called for increased responsibility by military leaders; improved quality and access to health care; elevated mental fitness; and increased research into suicide prevention.

Yet men and women continue to kill themselves.

"There have been so many (suicides) lately," said Wynn Dressler, 28, an Air Force staff sergeant, who had been living with Caldas for the past 10 months. "When I was in Turkey, there were three when I was there. I know another girl who was here prior, she committed suicide. Another guy came back and his wife was cheating on him. He blew his head off in base police cop car."
read more here

Gee that sounds really bad but also wrong. For starters, the DOD has not released the suicide reports for May or June yet. They are also wrong because they have not completed the Suicide Event Report for 2012. All we can do right now is guess based on what they do end up telling reporters. The facts are in the comprehensive reports researchers have been waiting for.

First we need to look at the Vietnam War to see what has been missed by journalists.

Casualty Category for Vietnam War

Number of Records

ACCIDENT

9,107

DECLARED DEAD

1,201

DIED OF WOUNDS

5,299

HOMICIDE

236

ILLNESS

938

KILLED IN ACTION

40,934

PRESUMED DEAD (BODY REMAINS RECOVERED)

32

PRESUMED DEAD (BODY REMAINS NOT RECOVERED)

91

SELF-INFLICTED

382

Total Records

58,220

382 Confirmed "self-inflicted during the entire Vietnam War. Last year alone the DOD reported more than that number for 2012. While the full Department of Defense Suicide Event report has not been released for last year we do have an idea of what had been happening before the record high number of suicides.

From THE WARRIOR SAW, SUICIDES AFTER WAR

2003 Army 79 26 while deployed
2004 Army 67 13 while deployed
2005 Army 87 25 while deployed
2006 Army 99 30 while deployed
(Army Suicide Prevention Program Fact Sheet, Army Public Affairs, August 17, 2007) 2007 Army 115 36 while deployed (50 deployed prior to suicide and 29 not deployed)

The following is from the Department of Defense Suicide Event Report.

Air Force Suicides Confirmed and Pending (2011 page 93)
2008 45
2009 43
2010 60
2011 50
241 Airmen who attempted suicide in 251 separate incidents.

Army Confirmed and Pending Suicides (2011 page 128)

2008 140

Suicide attempts 570 Of the 140 suicides, 34 (24%) occurred in OIF-OEF. One hundred sixteen suicide attempts (12%) were reported to have occurred in OIF-OEF. Nineteen percent of Soldiers with completed suicides, and 14% of Soldiers with suicide attempts, had a history of multiple deployments to Iraq and/or Afghanistan. Of suicide events reported as occurring in theater, the majority was reported to have occurred in Iraq.

2009 164

Army DoDSERs Submitted for Non-Fatal Events 2,047 Army DoDSERs for non-fatal events were submitted for 2009. Of these, 502 (25%) were submitted for suicide attempts, 347 (17%) for instances of self-harm without intent to die, and 1198 (59%) for suicidal ideation only

2010 160

DoDSERs provide data on suicide attempts for 400 individuals. Two attempts were reported (DoDSERs submitted) for 11 (2.75%) individuals, and three for one individual (0.25%). Additionally, four Soldiers with a 2010 suicide attempt DoDSER subsequently died by suicide in 2010 and were also included in the preceding section.

2011 167
440 DoDSERs for 2011 Army suicide attempts. As indicated in Table 5.29, these DoDSERs provide data on suicide attempts for 432 individuals. Two suicide attempt DoDSERs were submitted for 8 (1.85%) individuals 2011 Army suicide attempts 432 individuals with 440 attempts

Marines Confirmed and Pending
2008 42
2009 52
2010 37
2011 32

2011 156 Marines who attempted suicide in 157 separate incidents

Navy Confirmed and Pending
2008 41
2009 47
2010 38
2011 52

2011 87 Navy suicide attempts

Department of Defense Suicide Event Report for 2011
For 2011 there were 935 attempted suicides in the military with 915 individuals trying to kill themselves. 896 tried once, 18 tried twice and 1 tried three times.

It is important you know those numbers because of what is in this book. For 2012 it was reported that there were 179 attempted military suicides and the headlines all seemed to read the same way. 349 suicides were successful.

These are the deaths from suicides for 2012.

Army 182
Army National Guards 96
Army Reserves 47
Marines 48
Air Force 59
Navy 60
492 total reported suicides from one year alone.

While these numbers continue to be revised, again, the full report has not been released including the number of attempted suicides.

During the Vietnam War, many were drafted and were forced to be there but the war produced less suicides than when the US began an all volunteer force. So what makes the numbers higher now? Considering since 2006 the Congress and the DOD have funded billions every year in "prevention" you would think there would have been hearings as to what is causing the increase. Then again, you'd also have to believe they are willing to open their eyes, figure out what they got wrong and actually fix it. When we end up with one year's worth of military suicides higher than during the entire Vietnam war after they started to address it, every journalist in the country should be jumping all over this, but they ignore it.

The military loves to play a little game of hide and seek. If they discharge them, they don't have to count them. Then they get lumped into the veteran suicide figures instead of ending up on the DOD accounts. If you read just a few of the links under military suicides, you'll find some of their stories. All of them would have had the "prevention" training and subjected to testing before they were discharged. The DOD wants us to think they have nothing to do with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder even though most of the news reports we read are tied to PTSD among combat veterans.

There is one more frightening aspect to all of this. While at least 22 veterans a day commit suicide, the majority of them are Vietnam veterans. Considering the explosion of active duty suicides already, many more graves will be filled because no one asked for the answers and no one was held accountable.

Suicides are surging among US troops

"Suicides are surging among US troops" more proof of needless deaths! I won't bore you with another reminder of all the posts I've done on Resiliency Training failures or the fact it leaves the troops thinking they were mentally weak and didn't train right.

I'll leave you now with this reminder so you can read the latest news on military suicides.If Resiliency Training worked, then why are they still committing suicide?

AP IMPACT: Suicides are surging among US troops
By Robert Burns
AP National Security Writer
June 7, 2012

WASHINGTON—Suicides are surging among America's troops, averaging nearly one a day this year -- the fastest pace in the nation's decade of war.

The 154 suicides for active-duty troops in the first 155 days of the year far outdistance the U.S. forces killed in action in Afghanistan -- about 50 percent more -- according to Pentagon statistics obtained by The Associated Press.

The numbers reflect a military burdened with wartime demands from Iraq and Afghanistan that have taken a greater toll than foreseen a decade ago. The military also is struggling with increased sexual assaults, alcohol abuse, domestic violence and other misbehavior.

Because suicides had leveled off in 2010 and 2011, this year's upswing has caught some officials by surprise.

The reasons for the increase are not fully understood. Among explanations, studies have pointed to combat exposure, post-traumatic stress, misuse of prescription medications and personal financial problems. Army data suggest soldiers with multiple combat tours are at greater risk of committing suicide, although a substantial proportion of Army suicides are committed by soldiers who never deployed.
read more here

"Suicides had levelled off in 2010 and 2011, but this year's surge has caught officials by surprise."

So why are they so shocked to discover yet again what they are doing is failing? Every time the numbers go up, they are "surprised" but they never change what they are doing. They just push harder on what already failed!

Suicides at 10-year high in US military
Combat exposure, post-traumatic stress, misuse of drugs and debt problems blamed for increase
Associated Press
guardian.co.uk
Thursday 7 June 2012

Suicide is on the rise in the US military, averaging almost one every day, according to statistics.

In the first 155 days of 2012 there was 154 suicides among active troops, around 50% more than the number killed in action in Afghanistan, according to Pentagon statistics obtained by Associated Press. This is the highest number in 10 years.

The numbers reflect the burden of conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, according to experts. The military is also struggling with increased sexual assaults, alcohol abuse, domestic violence and other problems.

Suicides had levelled off in 2010 and 2011, but this year's surge has caught officials by surprise.
read more here

This is from CBS

June 7, 2012 7:02 PM
Military suicides grow at sharp rate
By David Martin

(CBS News) One suicide a day. That is the rate of U.S. military personnel taking their own lives just since the first of this year -- more troops lost to suicide than died in combat. It's a sharp increase over last year and it's caught the attention of the Pentagon.

The war in Iraq is over and the war in Afghanistan is winding down, but the pace of military suicides is actually increasing to a record level. Pentagon figures show that as of this past Monday, 154 service members had taken their lives so far in 2012 -- an average of more than one a day and much higher than the 138 killed so far this year in Afghanistan.

At this point in 2011, 130 service members had killed themselves -- in 2010, the number was 123. Pentagon officials had been expecting the number of suicides to level off after seeing the number soar as the intensity of the wars increased.

U.S. military averaging a suicide a day in 2012
Spc. Carl McCoy survived two tours in Iraq, only to take his own life and shatter the life of his wife Maggie.
read more here

From Houston Chronicle

AP IMPACT: Suicides are surging among US troops
ROBERT BURNS, AP National Security Writer
Updated 03:46 a.m., Friday, June 8, 2012


WASHINGTON (AP) — Suicides are surging among America's troops, averaging nearly one a day this year — the fastest pace in the nation's decade of war.

The 154 suicides for active-duty troops in the first 155 days of the year far outdistance the U.S. forces killed in action in Afghanistan — about 50 percent more — according to Pentagon statistics obtained by The Associated Press.

The numbers reflect a military burdened with wartime demands from Iraq and Afghanistan that have taken a greater toll than foreseen a decade ago. The military also is struggling with increased sexual assaults, alcohol abuse, domestic violence and other misbehavior.

Because suicides had leveled off in 2010 and 2011, this year's upswing has caught some officials by surprise.

The reasons for the increase are not fully understood. Among explanations, studies have pointed to combat exposure, post-traumatic stress, misuse of prescription medications and personal financial problems. Army data suggest soldiers with multiple combat tours are at greater risk of committing suicide, although a substantial proportion of Army suicides are committed by soldiers who never deployed.
read more here

Accountability AWOL on Military Suicides

Accountability AWOL on Military Suicides
by Kathie Costos
Wounded Times Blog
December 10, 2012
Can all military suicides be attributed to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder? No, but in order to answer that question honestly, you first have to know what PTSD is.

PTSD is an invader. It comes to 1 out of 3 people exposed to the same traumatic event. Some use one 1 of 5, but the longterm research has supported the 1 out of 3.) The American Psychological Association defines trauma this way.

"Trauma is an emotional response to a terrible event like an accident, rape or natural disaster. Immediately after the event, shock and denial are typical. Longer term reactions include unpredictable emotions, flashbacks, strained relationships and even physical symptoms like headaches or nausea. While these feelings are normal, some people have difficulty moving on with their lives. Psychologists can help these individuals find constructive ways of managing their emotions."

We can acknowledge that civilians can end up with PTSD without going to war but the DOD has a problem acknowledging that when a soldier has not gone yet. One person's "trauma" may not be so bad for others exposed to the same thing. While all military suicides cannot be connected to the trauma of experiencing combat, they are all connected to the loss of hope that the next day will be better than today.

The military points out that some of the servicemen and women committed suicide without ever deploying. They avoid the fact that training itself can be very traumatic for some of these young men and women. They are broken down to be trained, push their bodies past where they have on their own. They are enduring so many changes that the reality of what they just committed to can in itself be too traumatic to handle. They also hear about others serving in combat not only being shot at and killed, but blown up by an IED, being burned, losing limbs and suffering from traumatic brain injuries. When the DOD says "they were not deployed" you need to remember most of them were just kids right out of high school and the fear, the loss of hope was as real to them as being in combat itself. The days of thinking war was like a computer game ended when they arrived into harsh reality world.

Then they avoid the fact that less than half of the military personnel needing help for PTSD seek it. The stigma is just about as strong as their desire to go home after deployment. The other factor is another part of the training they receive sold as making them "resilient" and training their brains to be mentally tough enough to handle combat. This translates into their minds that if they should end up with PTSD it is their fault for being weak minded and not training right. It started with "Battlemind" and evolved into "Resiliency Training."

Unless this program is taken apart we will see more suicides.

I believe the members of the House and Senate do care about our troops and are saddened by the rise in military suicides but they have shown little evidence they have learned from all these years of research.

The best example of this was the speech Senator Max Baucus when he talks about the number of suicide from Montana.

If you just watch this video, knowing nothing, you will think they may just have gotten active addressing suicides, but you'd be totally wrong.

The fact is Montana has been trying to do something about military suicides since 2008. Spc. Chris Dana of the Montana National Guard committed suicide. In August of 2008 while still a Senator, President Obama traveled to Montana to meet with Dana' stepbrother, Matt Kuntz, who became a advocate for PTSD treatment programs to prevent more like Dana taking their own lives.

Rise of Military Suicides Driven By More Than War
By John M Donnelly
Roll Call Staff
Dec. 9, 2012

An emotional Max Baucus took to the Senate floor recently to talk about an article in his home state’s top newspaper that he said “hit me in the gut.”

Montana leads the nation in suicides per capita, the article said. And many of them were military personnel and veterans. Baucus then told of the 2007 suicide of an Iraq War veteran of multiple tours who had been affected by post-traumatic stress disorder.

Before taking his life, he told a relative he feared returning to Iraq because he thought he would be killed.

“That caused him to be very depressed, and it caused his suicide,” Baucus said.

The six-term Democrat was on the floor to tout the latest initiative an alarmed Congress has adopted to combat the rising numbers of military suicides. For 2012, the Pentagon has reported a record number — 320 suicides, or nearly one a day. That’s double the number of suicides in 2001, before more than a decade of war began.

The pressures of combat on soldiers has undoubtedly contributed to the problem.

However, military statistics reveal that most of the service members who killed themselves in recent years never deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan. And of those who went to war, most of those who took their own lives never saw combat.
read more here

So now you have some background on what I've been tracking all these years. While reporters can just take what they claim and never look back on what they said long ago, it renders the article useless because nothing changes no matter how many Bills the Congress passes, speeches they give and hearings they hold. Hundreds of millions of dollars have been invested in suicide prevention only to discover it is all getting worse yet no one is being held accountable. Thousands of our veterans are dead! Don't you think the Congress should be wondering why after all they "tried" to do produced these deplorable results?

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?

Military suicides cross party lines

Military suicides cross party lines
by Chaplain Kathie
Wounded Times Blog
September 14, 2012

Military suicides are not about political parties, but they are about not taking care of the men and women willing to risk their lives for us.

This poll will be up until Veterans Day

Secretary of Defense

Donald Rumsfeld January 20, 2001 – December 18, 2006

Robert Gates December 18, 2006 – July 1, 2011

Suicide Rate By Military Branch
The rates per 100,000 people of suicide among active-duty personnel in the Army, Marines, Navy and Air Force. The statistics show an increase in suicide rates since 2001, compared with the relatively steady rate of suicide among the U.S. civilian population.

Source: U.S. military branches (2001-09) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (latest figures through 2006) Credit: Adrienne Wollman

Suicides of Soldiers Reach High of Nearly 3 Decades January 01, 2009

Leon Panetta current

Army suicides doubled last month from June's total
Associated Press
Posted on August 16, 2012

WASHINGTON (AP) — Suicides among active-duty soldiers in July more than doubled from June, accelerating a trend throughout the military this year that has prompted Pentagon leaders to redouble efforts to solve a puzzling problem.

The Army, which is the only branch of the military that issues monthly press statements on suicides, said 26 active-duty soldiers killed themselves in July, compared with 12 in June. The July total was the highest for any month since the Army began reporting suicides by month in 2009, according to Lt. Col. Lisa Garcia, an Army spokeswoman.

The Marine Corps had eight suicides in July, up from six in June. The July figure was its highest monthly total of 2012 and pushed its total for the year so far to 32 — equal to the Marines' total for all of 2011. The Marines' July figure is being posted on its website but was provided first to The Associated Press.

The Air Force said it had six in July, compared with two in June. The Navy had four in July but its June figure was not immediately available.

The Army's suicide numbers have been higher than the other services, in part because it is substantially larger than the Marine Corps, Navy and Air Force. The Army also has had more members in combat over the past decade. It was the main ground force in Iraq and has a preponderance of the U.S. troops today in Afghanistan.

For the first seven months of 2012, the Army recorded 116 suicides among active-duty soldiers. If that pace were maintained through December the year's total would approach 200, compared with 167 for all of 2011.

What they got wrong

Redeployments, Troops stressed to breaking point because of redeployments

Resiliency is wrong because it tells them they can train their brains to be tough and prevent PTSD.

Medications, providing medication without therapy and without addressing PTSD numbs them while allowing PTSD to do more damage.

Not informing families on what PTSD is and what they can to do help has caused more stress on the veterans as well as the families.

Discharing even one member after they sought help has also contributed to all of this.

Research that has been repeated waisting time and funds that should have been invested in proven programs.

What they got right

Peer support

Outreach efforts

Generals and other leaders coming forward to talk about their own experience with PTSD.

Talking about buddies that took their own lives.

Families talking about their own pain.

The time to act for their sake was when the troops were deployed into Afghanistan in 2001 but no one looked to experts on combat PTSD to plan for any of this. To this day, while I track reports across the country, too few experts on PTSD are involved in these attempts to prevent military suicides.
Over and over again the number of our forces committing suicide without being deployed but none of them attempt to explain why they did it.

Over and over again military brass makes statements of how serious this is but what comes afterwards are more of the same failures repeating the same mistakes pushed by the same people already proven to have failed.

If they are ever going to prevent most of the military suicides, they have to take a look at what has failed instead of repeating them hoping for a different result.

The failures happened in two administrations, under three Defense Secretaries, under Democrat controlled House as well as Republican controlled House. Neither party can claim they support the troops when both parties have failed them.

A look back at military suicide reports from last year

Still trying to finish The Warrior SAW, Suicides After War and what I am seeing cannot wait until the book is finished.

I was reviewing some of the articles on military suicides in Wounded Times achieves and I am deeply troubled because it is all being repeated again. The same claims made last year are being made all over again and just as last year stared out, we're seeing numbers to horrible to ignore.

By January 19, 2012 when the military suicide numbers showed a decline, “for the first time in four years” General Peter Chiarelli said “I think we’ve at least arrested this problem and hopefully will start to push it down.” Then he cited an increase in hospitalizations for soldiers who talked about suicide, adding “For all practical purposes,,, it has leveled off.” (Army suicide rates declined in 2011, Gregg Zoroya, USA Today, January 19, 2012)

In February that report was followed by these.

Army Releases January Suicide Data
February 22, 2012

The Army released suicide data today for the month of January. During January, among active-duty soldiers, there were 16 potential suicides: 5 have been confirmed as suicide and 11 remain under investigation.

For December, the Army reported 11 potential suicides among active-duty soldiers. Since the release of that report, 8 have been confirmed as a suicide and 3 remain under investigation.

During January, among reserve component soldiers who were not on active duty, there were 6 potential suicides (5 Army National Guard and 1 Army Reserve): none have been confirmed as suicide and 6 remain under investigation.

For December, among that same group, the Army reported five potential suicides. Since the release of that report, one case has been added for a total of six cases (four Army National Guard and two Army Reserve). Six were confirmed as suicides and none remain under investigation.(Army Times)

As of late January, the Air Force has recorded 15 suicides — including active duty, National Guard, Reserve and civilians — up five from the same period last year. The increase in the beginning of the year led Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz and Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force James Roy to issue a memorandum to major commands requiring that all units schedule a one-day standdown to “refocus on resiliency.”

“Our Airmen are too important to lose in this manner, and the costs to individuals, families, friends, co-workers, and our mission are beyond measure,” the Jan. 12 memorandum states.

Suicides through Jan. 26 total almost half of the 29 active-duty suicides in 2011. No January in the past eight years has had more than 10 airmen commit suicide.

In 2011, the Air Force confirmed 29 active-duty suicides, along with 27 in the National Guard and Reserve. An additional 13 active-duty cases were still pending confirmation.

Even while bases around the world were holding their resiliency days, two more airmen were suspected of committing suicide, including a 21-year-old airman first class at F.E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyo., on Jan. 18 and a 43-year-old chief master sergeant on Jan. 21 at Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D.
(Rise in suicides leads to 1-day standdown Air Force Times, Brian Everstine January 30, 2012)

In Daytona Beach Jason Pemberton killed his wife and them himself. Friends and relatives said the three-tour Iraq veteran had Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. He was 28. (Daytona murder-suicide brings light to PTSD struggles, Daytona Beach News Journal, Lyda Longa, February 7, 2012)

In February of 2012 the report from Fort Bragg came out that 6 soldiers there had committed suicide in 6 weeks and there were 25 cases of spousal abuse at the installation in just 30 days.
(North Carolina Town Plagued by Crimes by War Veterans, Fayetteville Observer, David Wallechinsky and Noel Brinkehoff February 8, 2012)

Statistics on Iraq and Afghanistan veterans, obtained in 2011 through a Freedom of Information Act request by a San Francisco newspaper, found that more than 2,200 soldiers died within two years of leaving the service, and about half had been undergoing treatment for post-traumatic stress or other combat-induced mental disorders at the time.
(US military suicides high even as wars wind down The military has finally admitted to the problem, but hasn't been able to curb the deaths, Global Post, Michael Moran February 10, 2012 )

A 27-year-old Marine sergeant from New River Air Station completes two deployments in Iraq and re-enlists, then takes his own life with a handgun, leaving behind a wife and two children. A 19-year-old Camp Lejeune artilleryman with a fiancée hangs himself. A 21-year-old sergeant with three years of service and a single tour in Afghanistan dies of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.

These are three of the seven local troops who died by their own hand in 2011, five of them within Onslow County or aboard Camp Lejeune.

A month-and-a-half into 2012, Camp Lejeune has lost two of its active-duty Marines to suicide. Spread across a base of more than 50,000 troops, the numbers are small making it difficult to determine if preventative measures are working, or even where to focus assistance, said Navy Lt. Cmdr. Andrew Martin, suicide prevention manager for Marine and Family Programs.
(Camp Lejeune continues battle against troop suicide HOPE HODGE - DAILY NEWS STAFF February 19, 2012)

The Army released suicide data today for the month of January. During January, among active-duty soldiers, there were 16 potential suicides: five have been confirmed as suicide and 11 remain under investigation.

For December, the Army reported 11 potential suicides among active-duty soldiers. Since the release of that report, eight have been confirmed as a suicide and three remain under investigation.

During January, among reserve component soldiers who were not on active duty, there were six potential suicides (five Army National Guard and one Army Reserve): none have been confirmed as suicide and six remain under investigation.
(ABC News 23 Kero-Bakersfield February 22, 2012)

We also have this about our veterans and the VA.

VA knows when a veteran in its care commits suicide, but only 6 million of the nation’s 22 million veterans are enrolled in VA health services.

This came out in March about Marines

Eight active-duty U.S. Marines have taken their lives this year, signaling that widespread efforts aimed at reducing troop suicides in the service may not be working.

The latest Marine and Family Programs Suicide Prevention Program office report shows that four Marines killed themselves in February and an additional 15 attempted suicide.

That follows 12 attempts and four suicides reported in January, according to the report.
(Four Marine suicides in February raise year's total to eight, Mark Walker, North County Times March 6, 2012)

Now you have a better idea of what has been going on here and why I keep saying the DOD refuses to change. They refuse to stop using what does not work. They refuse to give up on Resilience Training and stop telling these men and women they can "train their brains" to be mentally tough.

February 10, 2013

Total military suicides for 2012 is closer to 500
This has been gnawing at me since last week when I posted how Military Suicide reports do not add up. I went to the DOD website to see if there were any corrections released. I just found the Army report with these numbers.

Army Releases December 2012 and Calendar Year 2012 Suicide Information
The Army released suicide data today for the month of December and calendar year 2012. During December, among active-duty soldiers, there were 7 potential suicides: 3 have been confirmed as suicides and four remain under investigation. For November, the Army reported 12 potential suicides among active-duty soldiers: four have been confirmed as suicides and 8 remain under investigation. For 2012, there have been 182 potential active-duty suicides: 130 have been confirmed as suicides and 52 remain under investigation. Active-duty suicide number for 2011: 165 confirmed as suicides and no cases under investigation.

During December, among reserve component soldiers who were not on active duty, there were 15 potential suicides (10 Army National Guard and five Army Reserve): four have been confirmed as suicides and 11 remain under investigation. For November, among that same group, the Army reported 15 potential suicides (12 Army National Guard and three Army Reserve): 10 have been confirmed as suicides and five remain under investigation.

For 2012, there have been 143 potential not on active-duty suicides (96 Army National Guard and 47 Army Reserve): 117 have been confirmed as suicides and 26 remain under investigation. Not on active-duty suicide numbers for 2011: 118 (82 Army National Guard and 36 Army Reserve) confirmed as suicides and no cases under investigation.

182 for the Year 2012 Army
143 for Year 2012 Army National Guard and Reservists
335 Total Army but the article did not include the Guards and Reservists in the total.
That was from the Department of Defense for the Army, National Guards and Reservists.
This is from Marine Corps Times article Chiarelli: Suicide a nationwide problem

It listed
182 Army Active Duty
48 Marines
59 Air Force
60 Navy

In 2012, the Army had 182 active-duty suicides, the Marine Corps, 48; the Air Force, 59 and the Navy, 60, according to the services.

Adding in the Army National Guards and Army Reservists the total is 492.

The truth is, we will never know how many for sure. Sometimes the cause of death is ruled accident when it was suicide and the other way around. What should concern us more than anything else is these numbers continue to go up but nothing in the way the military treats it has changed anymore than they way they treat PTSD.

The rate for veteran suicides actually increases with age. One more thing to be concerned with as this generation ages.

Defective weapon used by military kills hundreds a year

Defective weapon used by military kills hundreds a year
Wounded Times Blog
Kathie Costos
June 18, 2013

There is a weapon the Department of Defense has spent billions a year on. This weapon is more deadly to our own troops but no one seems care. The weapon is not used to kill opponents on the battlefield. The billions of dollars spent have been making contractors and stock holders very wealthy. It has also been filling graves.

What has the Department of Defense been claiming they have been doing on addressing military suicides? They have over 900 prevention programs but suicides have gone up every year. They claim they have addressed Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and getting rid of the stigma with "resilience training" but the troops are still reluctant to even ask for help as the number of servicemen and women needing help rises.

What they claim has not been based on reality. This is their reality.

“The issue with PTSD is that so many Marines and sailors are not diagnosed or seeking treatment,” said Jim Askins, the department head of health promotions. “Marine Corps public health estimates that 10 to 30-percent are undiagnosed from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Marine and Navy team go to combat against PTSD
By THOMAS BRENNAN
Daily News Staff
Published: Tuesday, June 18, 2013

The awareness campaign, held on Friday at the Marine Corps Exchange aboard Camp Lejeune, brought together the Health Promotion and Wellness department from the Naval Hospital and the Marine Corps Community Services resiliency education department to de-stigmatize and raise awareness about a disorder that affects many service members. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is a type of anxiety disorder that can occur after you have gone through an extreme emotional trauma that involved the threat of injury or death.

Their reality is they are still not seeking help because of what else is happening. Other than honorable discharges are still happening when most of them want to be treated so they can do the job they always wanted to do. They don't want to leave the military. Given the option to heal and stay in, most want to stay because they never thought of doing anything else but serving their country.

Their reality is, they are still receiving medications that do more harm than good. How many warnings on drugs do they need to read before they refuse to take them? How many times are they punished for what the medications are doing to them? How many warnings did the DOD need to hear before they acknowledged they are not monitoring the medicated?

Their reality is their families are falling apart because of what PTSD is doing to them but the military blames suicides on relationship problems while failing to acknowledge the simple fact that a third of the troops with PTSD do not seek help. No diagnosis, no tie to PTSD. They must be able to live with that fact and satisfied to use that excuse.

Their reality is, they are trained to not seek help. They are told they can train their brains to be resilient. If they end up with problems, the message prevents them from seeking help. Would you knowing there was the threat of being discharged with an "other than honorable" hanging over your head for the rest of your life when all you want to do is stay in? The message of telling them what they can do if they train right actually puts the blame on their shoulders. To them it means they are mentally weak and didn't train right.

How many times do you have to read on Facebook that another service member has taken their own life before you get clued in on what is behind it? How many times do you have to read about another OEF or OIF veteran taking their own life back home before you give a damn about what is going on? How many times do you have to read about what the reality is for the men and women risking their lives before you understand this weapon is the most deadly of all?

A more complete tally of U.S. military suicides last year: 524
LA TImes
By Alan Zarembo
June 17, 2013

In data compiled by the Defense Department on military suicides, perhaps the most surprising statistic is that between 2008 and 2011, 52% of service members who took their own lives had never been deployed to Afghanistan or Iraq.

That figure, which challenges the popular belief that exposure to war is the primary driver of a surge in suicides, became the basis for an L.A. Times story Sunday.

But another statistic in the story also deserves attention: 524. That is the number of suicides in the military last year. To those who have followed the issue, it may seem like a misprint. The Pentagon recently announced that the 2012 total was 349.

The Defense Department, however, has only tracked suicides of military personnel who were on active duty when they died.

For a more complete tally, The Times went directly to the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines for the data. That added three suicides to the Defense Department's figure, bringing the active-duty count for 2012 to 352. More significantly, it added 172 suicides of reservists and National Guard members who were on inactive status at the time of their deaths.

Little is known about the suicides of service members not on active duty. Military researchers say they are compiling and analyzing the demographics of the victims, their deployment histories and other characteristics. The Defense Department has yet to publish their suicide rate.

If they are discharged from the military, they are no longer a "military problem" and become a VA problem.

Military veteran who shot up mother's home goes to trial next week
Mother claims son, Adan Castaneda, has PTSD
Published On: Jun 17 2013

COMAL COUNTY, Texas

Maria Anna Esparza still can't believe her 27-year-old Marine sniper son, Adan Castaneda, shot at her home while she and her husband slept.

She said Adan had been home from Iraq for two years when the shooting happened.

"He was a scout sniper for the U.S. Marines, so if he wanted us dead, he knew where we slept, he knew exactly where we were in the house, but that was not his intention," said Esparza.

According to police, Adan used his own .45 caliber gun and fired off 23 shots. They said he started shooting at the top of the house and worked his way down.

Castaneda has been diagnosed with Posttraumatic stress disorder. Next week he will stand trial for attempted murder of his mother and stepfather after shooting up their house back in May 2011.
“They had to watch beheadings on their computers daily as part of their training,” said Esparza.

The reality for families is also much different than what we have been told.

Suicide rates among military family members are on the rise
Washington Times
Life Lines by Susan L Ruth
June 17, 2013

WASHINGTON, June 17, 2013—The last report tracking military suicides showed that there is no decrease in the rate of deaths by service members own hands and now there are other military suicides that are gaining attention.

Experts are reporting that they are seeing an increase in the number of military family members killing themselves as well, although the exact rates are not known because these cases are not being tracked at this time.

The growing rate of suicides among the military has been a problem that the chain of command has not been able to get under control since it came to light about 11 years ago.

This is why I wrote THE WARRIOR SAW, SUICIDES AFTER WAR. I listened to what the reality is for them and their families. The military however has not been listening to them. They are pushing the program that actually prevents them from understanding what PTSD is and seeking help to heal.

One last thing to leave you with is the fact that none of this is new. It has been researched for the last 40 years. Would you find it acceptable to spend billions a year on a weapon that was doing more harm than good for our own forces? UPDATE here is another report of not seeking help within the military.

‘You Have To Get Help’ — Vets Share Stories Of Living With PTSD
CBS News
June 18, 2013
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – Jason Probst described what it was like last year in January when he was driving a vehicle down a street and hit a road side bomb in Afghanistan.

“It was like driving and hitting a wall,” he said.

The cab filled with smoke. He hit his head, causing a brain injury. He now deals with the aftermath of war in many ways."

Loud noises, and sudden noises startle me…and sleeping at night is different,” he said.

His mother, Deb Probst, remembers hearing news of the explosion and fearing the worst.

“So he had angels with him that day,” she said.

Probst has reached out for help at the VA but says there’s still a stigma associated with mental illnesses, like Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

Common sense and decency demand accountability on military suicides

Common sense and decency demand accountability on military suicides
Wounded Times Blog
Kathie Costos
June 24, 2013

The military and the press need to stop pretending change is working. It isn't. It hasn't worked since 2008. Common sense and decency demand accountability especially when what has been done came with higher suicides and attempted suicides.

As long as reporters fail to even know what questions to ask, we will see an increase in veterans committing suicide.

At A Texas Base, Battling Army's Top Threat: Suicide is the headline for an article on KUOW news. Some may find it pretty shocking that the biggest threat is not the Taliban or some other opposing force the troops are sent to fight. Others know it all too well.

It infuriates people of conscience. While it is good the military is trying to do something to reduce suicides the flip side is what they have been doing is producing more suicides. They haven't been able to make the connection so they push every failure hoping for different results.

While the above article is about Fort Bliss and their claim they have reduced suicides the reporter Quil Lawrence lacked enough basic knowledge to accurately report the number of military suicides for 2012. Most reporters have gotten it wrong because they omit the National Guards and Reservists. The LA Times reported 524 service members took their own lives in 2012.

There was a series of reports from The Gazette about what was going on over in Fort Carson. Wounded soldiers were being discharged instead of being taken care of.

The Gazette investigative series "Other Than Honorable," published this week, used Army data to show how the number of soldiers getting discharged for misconduct has surged to its highest levels in recent times.

Those discharged include wounded soldiers, some of whom have served in multiple deployments during a decade of war, who are more likely to break Army rules and then be denied benefits.

Is this how Fort Bliss reduced the number of suicides? We do not know. We only know what happened at Fort Carson because reporters knew enough information to ask the right questions so someone would be held accountable.

Pittard is the same person who did this a year ago.

Fort Bliss Major General Dana Pittard blamed soldiers for suicides claiming it was a selfish act and he was tired of it.

"The remarks may reflect Pittard’s own frustration and emotional exhaustion after a grim few months at Fort Bliss. A total of 14 soldiers from the post were killed in traffic accidents and training mishaps between October and December of last year, along with several suicides. Pittard himself had just come from a memorial service for a soldier who killed himself in front of his twin 6-year-old daughters."

“I have now come to the conclusion that suicide is an absolutely selfish act,” he wrote on his official blog recently. “I am personally fed up with soldiers who are choosing to take their own lives so that others can clean up their mess. Be an adult, act like an adult, and deal with your real-life problems like the rest of us.”

This is from the above news report.

"It was kind of a no-brainer," says Maj. Gen. Dana Pittard, who last month finished three years as the top commander at Fort Bliss. "Our focus was getting our soldiers to [get] help."

"In 10 years, only one case [of suicide at Fort Bliss] that we know of ... took place when a soldier was in treatment," says Pittard.

Pittard has battled to overcome the military's macho culture that considers reaching for help a sign of weakness. He mandated that all troops arriving at Fort Bliss take a two-day suicide awareness and prevention course that was different from the training used by the rest of the Army.

"In ten years only one case,,, "that we know of." What exactly does that mean? If they are discharged then they do not have to "know" about them. If they are discharged the military does not track them. If they are not in the VA system, the VA doesn't track them. Statistics out of the VA have shown that a very large percentage of suicides tied to military have occurred after they sought help. According to a report tied to a new bill from Senator Joe Donnely, 57% Military suicides happened after they sought help but it also points out that 43% had not sought help. Pittard didn't really clarify his claim.

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs reports that since October of 2001, more than 286,000 of the approximately 900,000 veterans of Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation New Day who have used Veterans Affairs health care have been coded for PTSD, and an untold number of cases of PTSD remain unreported, undiagnosed and untreated due to lack of awareness about the illness and persistent stigma associated with mental health issues.

Claims made from Pittard along with far too many speaking for the military have not been challenged and they should have been long ago. The results proved what has been happening is the reality of what the servicemen and women face. What the military says is far from reality.

Bad outcome:Awareness up, spending up and so are military suicides

Wounded Times
Kathie Costos
July 26, 2014

In 2009 I was able to figure out that Comprehensive Soldier Fitness would increase military suicides.

"If you promote this program the way Battlemind was promoted, count on the numbers of suicides and attempted suicides to go up instead of down. It's just one more deadly mistake after another and just as dangerous as sending them into Iraq without the armor needed to protect them."

Finally the reduction of military personnel is being factored in on the suicide reports like this.

After years of attempting to prevent suicides, these numbers are more proof it isn't working. One more factor to include in this is there are less serving this year than last year. According to the DOD Army 537,135 April 2013 went down to 518,576 April 2014. Marines had a decrease from 194,703 to 191,599 and the Air Force went from 334,255 to 329,979. The Navy had an increase from 318,999 to 323,788. But why include the other side of the numbers that do in fact matter?

When you think of the design of the Capitol it is totally appropriate it is a huge circle. Members of Congress keep running around and arriving right back at the same place others started.

Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images

Over and over again members of Congress come up with Bills to address suicides but other than doing a lot of talking, they simply repeat what has already failed. The military is just as guilty. How is it that no one has been held accountable for the billions spent each year when the result has been more suicides and less recovering?

How is it that Generals like Army Gen. Raymond T. Odierno got away with blaming soldiers and their families for suicides and was not ever forced to apologize for what he apparently believes?

"First, inherently what we do is stressful. Why do I think some people are able to deal with stress differently than others? There are a lot of different factors. Some of it is just personal make-up. Intestinal fortitude. Mental toughness that ensures that people are able to deal with stressful situations."

"But it also has to do with where you come from. I came from a loving family, one who gave lots of positive reinforcement, who built up psychologically who I was, who I am, what I might want to do. It built confidence in myself, and I believe that enables you to better deal with stress. It enables you to cope more easily than maybe some other people."

What exactly would he say to veterans after they survived? What would he say to all the Medal of Honor Heroes talking openly about their own issues with PTSD and thinking about suicide? What would he say to Dakota Meyer's face after he did in fact try to kill himself with a gun put up to his head and he pulled the trigger not knowing his Dad removed the bullets?

No one has been held accountable for any of this and we got excuses while families were forced to plan funerals instead of retirements. Think the problem in the VA is bad with claims and wait times for appointments? Then think of this other fact. Senator Joe Donnelly said, "43 percent of service members who committed suicide never sought help. He says trying to combat the problem of military and veteran suicide needs to involve erasing the stigma of seeking help." avoiding the fact that also means 57% committed suicide after seeking help. Next time you read a report on the over 22 veterans a day ending their own lives remember that fact. Next time you read a story on servicemembers committing suicide think of the rest of what you read. If you were not already pissed off then you were not paying attention!

Number of military suicides showing uptick
By Patricia Kime
Staff writer
July 25, 2014

The number of military suicides so far this year is running slightly higher than for the same time frame last year, but without the context of force reductions, the raw data say little about current suicide trends in the armed services.

This year, the four services have seen 162 confirmed or suspected suicides — 151 among active-duty troops and 11 among reserve component members — through July 20, according to Pentagon documents obtained by Military Times.

The Navy and Air Force both had an uptick in suicides, while the Army and Marine Corps are down from their 2013 year-to-date numbers.

In the same period last year, there were 160 total deaths by suicide across the four services. In 2012, there were 209.

While the numbers appear to signal a reversal of the decline in military suicides in 2013 compared to the year before, the breadth of the change, if any, will be determined when the Defense Department calculates the current incidence rate of suicide — a measure that weighs the number of suicides against the number of personnel serving.

The most recent rates published by the Pentagon show that in 2013, the incident rate among active duty personnel was 18.7 per 100,000. In 2012, it was 22.7 per 100,000 — the highest it has been since DoD began closely tracking the data in 2002.

A current incidence rate was not included in the 2014 year-to-date suicide report. The figure is challenging to calculate, since it is based on the number of troops on active duty as well as the number of mobilized Guard and reserve troops — numbers that fluctuate as service members train and move between active and reserve status.

Of the 162 confirmed or suspected suicides to date this year for both the active and reserve components, the service breakdown is Army, 71; Air Force, 34; Marine Corps, 21; and Navy, 36.

This time last year, the figures were Army, 85; Air Force, 25; Marine Corps, 26; and Navy, 24.

The Navy is well ahead of its pace at this time last year and in fact is already closing in on its total of 43 for all of 2013.
read more here

Military suicides were lower before Resilience Training

Military suicides were lower before Resilience Training
Congress still clueless
by Kathie Costos
Wounded Times Blog
April 9, 2013

The last few days there hasn't been as much posting going on because I am pushing hard to finish THE WARRIOR SAW, SUICIDES AFTER WAR because of things just like this. Congressman André Carson wrote in Politico that there were 349 military suicides. Really? Sure if you do not count National Guards and Reservists.

Military suicide: War’s invisible casualty
Politico
By REP. ANDRÉ CARSON
4/8/13

Three hundred forty-nine members of the United States military committed suicide in 2012 — a total higher than the number of combat casualties in Afghanistan during that same period. This 15 percent increase over the year prior points to a dangerous national epidemic and a failure to address the invisible wounds of war inflicted on members of the proudest military force in the world.

Congress has an immediate role to play and an undeniable responsibility to confront these challenges head-on. That is why this week I am introducing two pieces of legislation that seek to stave off further increases in military suicide and ensure we are addressing the prevalence by which American heroes are taking their own lives.

For too long, we have failed to see our own duplicity in how we deal with wartime injuries. When a member of our military is struck by an enemy bullet or mortar, medics rush to their assistance. We provide immediate treatment and take the necessary precautions to keep our troops healthy and strong. Yet when it comes to their mental health, our soldiers are often abandoned on the battlefield to cope with post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injuries and depression. These unseen wounds are often just as deep and their consequences just as severe, but they go untreated. Worse yet, we have created an environment in which proactively seeking treatment is considered taboo.
read more here

My comment

Wounded Times • a few seconds ago − End resilience training and you are part way there. This "effort" has been behind the increased number of suicides. How does this country spends billions a year in contracts and end up increasing suicides? Has that entered into any of this? Next week you will be able to read all about it in The Warrior Saw, Suicides After War because families asked me to write it so no other Mom has to bury a war fighter when their war ends but the battle goes on

The truth is Congress, the DOD, the VA and a long list of charities spend billions every year. The suicide numbers were lower before they did. Lower? Yes.
2003 76
2004 67
2005 87
2006 99
2007 115

2008 140
Suicide attempts 570
Of the 140 suicides, 34 (24%) occurred in OIF-OEF. One hundred sixteen suicide attempts (12%) were reported to have occurred in OIF-OEF. Nineteen percent of Soldiers with completed suicides, and 14% of Soldiers with suicide attempts, had a history of multiple deployments to Iraq and/or Afghanistan. Of suicide events reported as occurring in theater, the majority was reported to have occurred in Iraq.

2009 164 Army DoDSERs Submitted for Non-Fatal Events 2,047 Army DoDSERs for non-fatal events were submitted for 2009. Of these, 502 (25%) were submitted for suicide attempts, 347 (17%) for instances of self-harm without intent to die, and 1198 (59%) for suicidal ideation only 2010 160 DoDSERs provide data on suicide attempts for 400 individuals. Two attempts were reported (DoDSERs submitted) for 11 (2.75%) individuals, and three for one individual (0.25%).

2010 suicide attempt DoDSER subsequently died by suicide in 2010 and were also included in the preceding section.

2011 167 440 DoDSERs for 2011 Army suicide attempts. As indicated in Table 5.29, these DoDSERs provide data on suicide attempts for 432 individuals. Two suicide attempt DoDSERs were submitted for 8 (1.85%) individuals
2011 Army suicide attempts 432 individuals with 440 attempts


Those numbers are just for the Army

This tells the best story of all.

For 2011 there were 935 attempted suicides in the military with 915 individuals trying to kill themselves. 896 tried once, 18 tried twice and 1 tried three times.

2012 For 2012, there have been 182 potential active-duty suicides but the reports also tell what has been happening with National Guards and Reservists

For 2012, there have been 143 potential not on active-duty suicides (96 Army National Guard and 47 Army Reserve): 117 have been confirmed as suicides and 26 remain under investigation. Not on active-duty suicide numbers for 2011: 118 (82 Army National Guard and 36 Army Reserve) confirmed as suicides and no cases under investigation.

In 2009 I warned that Comprehensive Soldier Fitness will make it worse
"If you promote this program the way Battlemind was promoted, count on the numbers of suicides and attempted suicides to go up instead of down. It's just one more deadly mistake after another and just as dangerous as sending them into Iraq without the armor needed to protect them." I was right but they still died.

CONGRESS STARTED SPENDING MONEY ON PTSD 40 YEARS AGO!

Nation Has Obligation To Correctly Address Military Suicides

When I read something like this I wonder if they think they know what is going on or don't even care.

Nation has obligation to address military suicides
Montgomery Advertiser
June 1, 2015

A near doubling in the suicide rate for military veterans over the last decade has been called an epidemic. Data on the rising military-suicide rate remains incomplete. Some studies contradict the often-cited number of 22 suicides a day.

One thing, however, is clear.

Too many service men and women are taking their own lives and too little has been done to recognize or aid those at risk.

As the Advertiser's Rebecca Burylo reported last week, the most recent data shows 449 military members killed themselves in 2013, 229 on active duty and 220 in the reserve and National Guard.

The Army's suicide rate started to rise in 2004, peaked in 2012 at 185 deaths among active-duty soldiers, but fell to 135 in 2014, according to USA Today.

There are no simple answers to halting the epidemic, especially given the Department of Veterans Affairs' deplorable record on caring for those with mental health issues.
read more here

One thing is clear? Seriously? Not even close. How about they correctly address military suicides before they return to sender?

The numbers didn't go down in 2014 but actually went up considering there were less in the Army do to sequestration. Less serving means higher percentage of suicides.

Department of Defense’s (DoD) new report on military suicides in 2014. The Pentagon reported Tuesday that 434 servicemembers took their own lives last year, including 268 active component servicemembers, 79 reserve servicemembers, and 87 National Guard members.

From Donnelly: New Pentagon Report on 2014 Military Suicide Numbers ‘A Reminder We Still Have Lot of Work To Do’ To End Scourge
434 Servicemembers took their own lives in 2014

The Pentagon report on military suicide in 2014 shows that active duty suicide rose slightly from 254 in 2013 to 268 in 2014. The number of suicides decreased in the National Guard from a record high of 134 in 2013 to 87 in 2014 and fell from 86 in 2013 to 79 in the Reserve. In 2013, a record number of servicemembers in the National Guard took their own lives, and we lost 474 servicemembers overall, more than three times the number killed in combat (132). In 2012, according to new adjusted numbers from the Pentagon, 512 servicemembers took their own lives.

Suicides in the military went up after the DOD started to "address" prevention. Suicides went up after the Congress expanded spending on "research" and funding programs. (Over 900 of them) Doing more "somethings" ended up doing more harm than good. PTSD and suicides tied to military service have been studied for over 4 decades. No one was held accountable for anything they did or failed to do. How about changing the conversation to how these veterans can life and heal and make them aware of what does work? They don't even know the basics and that is the saddest part of all.

They are doing more and more of everything even though it doesn't work.  How about they stop doing what failed and start doing what was learned over the last 40 years that did?

Why do reporters forget about National Guards and Reservists?

Why do reporters keep repeating the same wrong suicide numbers?

Report details flaws in Army's handling of PTSD The Army has more than doubled its number of military and civilian behavioral health workers in the past five years, but a litany of shortcomings still plagues the force when it comes to diagnosing and treating soldiers for post-traumatic stress disorder, according to an Army report being released Friday. Last year the Army - and the military as a whole - suffered the highest number of suicides ever recorded, prompting then-Defense Secretary Leon Panetta to declare it an epidemic.

The Army had 183 suicides among active-duty soldiers, up from 167 in 2011, and the military as a whole had 350 suicides, up from 301 the year before.

Army Releases December 2012 and Calendar Year 2012 Suicide Information

The Army released suicide data today for the month of December and calendar year 2012. During December, among active-duty soldiers, there were seven potential suicides: three have been confirmed as suicides and four remain under investigation. For November, the Army reported 12 potential suicides among active-duty soldiers: four have been confirmed as suicides and eight remain under investigation. For 2012, there have been 182 potential active-duty suicides: 130 have been confirmed as suicides and 52 remain under investigation. Active-duty suicide number for 2011: 165 confirmed as suicides and no cases under investigation. (They added one more in February)

During December, among reserve component soldiers who were not on active duty, there were 15 potential suicides (10 Army National Guard and five Army Reserve): four have been confirmed as suicides and 11 remain under investigation. For November, among that same group, the Army reported 15 potential suicides (12 Army National Guard and three Army Reserve): 10 have been confirmed as suicides and five remain under investigation. For 2012, there have been 143 potential not on active-duty suicides (96 Army National Guard and 47 Army Reserve): 117 have been confirmed as suicides and 26 remain under investigation. Not on active-duty suicide numbers for 2011: 118 (82 Army National Guard and 36 Army Reserve) confirmed as suicides and no cases under investigation. (They added one more in February)

Add 183 and 144. That adds up to 327.

Army Releases January 2013 Suicide Information The Army released suicide data today for the month of January 2013. During January, among active-duty soldiers, there were 19 potential suicides: two have been confirmed as suicides and 17 remain under investigation. For December 2012, the Army reported seven potential suicides among active-duty soldiers; however, subsequent to the report, another case was added bringing December’s total to eight: five have been confirmed as suicides and three are under investigation.

During January, among reserve component soldiers who were not on active duty, there were 14 potential suicides six Army National Guard and eight Army Reserve): One has been confirmed and 13 are still under investigation. For December 2012, among that same group, the Army reported 15 potential suicides; since the release of that report, one case has been added for a total of 16 (11 Army National Guard and five Army Reserve): nine have been confirmed and seven cases remain under investigation.

Now add in the other branches.

These were the numbers from January of 2012

Military Suicides from Marine Corps Times
January 14, 2013
The Army, by far the largest of the military services, had the highest number of suicides among active-duty troops last year at 182, but the Marine Corps, whose suicide numbers had declined for two years, had the largest percentage increase — a 50 percent jump to 48. The Marines’ worst year was 2009’s 52 suicides.

The Air Force recorded 59 suicides, up 16 percent from the previous year, and the Navy had 60, up 15 percent.

327 + 48=375
375 + 59=434
434 + 60=494
means they are off by 144, which means they are not counting National Guards and Reservists!

If you are not livid about military suicides, you haven't been paying attention

If you are not livid about military suicides, you haven't been paying attention
by Kathie Costos
Wounded Times Blog
January 16, 2013

If you search at the top of this blog for military suicides you'll get a better idea of just how repulsive the headline grabbing news of military suicides at "record high" are and then you may just start to be approaching the level of anger I had over 5 years ago when I started this blog. I was angry before then but livid in 2007. Maybe you can imagine what level I'm at now.


The headlines across the web scream about the number of military suicides at 349, but where are the headlines calling for someone to be held accountable?

Do we hold congress accountable?

Has anyone in the military been held accountable?

Has anyone in the VA been held to account for the number of veterans committing suicide?

Have any among the ever growing list of mega charities been held accountable?

See, when you read the headlines there are many other reports few, if any, reporters know about. I am not a reporter. I am many things but at the top of the list should be researcher and that is what reporters should remember is their duty.

Where are the reports on the survivors of military suicides? Sometimes when a reporter is paying attention to the story they are writing, they actually mention the attempted suicide numbers. That hasn't happened in a very long time. If they had bothered to try to interview some of the more than 30,000 rescues the Suicide Prevention Hotline claims to have made, they may have a better idea about what is lacking in all of this.

The problem is, as I said, I am not a reporter. Reporters need to START DOING THEIR JOBS! My tiny blog can't get the kind of attention they get and this blog depends on reporters actually knowing what they are writing about.

On AP "The Big Story" there is this headline

2012 MILITARY SUICIDES HIT A RECORD HIGH OF 349 but other than the number of suicides at "record high" there is absolutely nothing new in it.

David Rudd, a military suicide researcher and dean of the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Utah, said he sees two main categories of troops who are committing suicide at an accelerating pace: Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans suffering from depression, post-traumatic stress or substance abuse, and those who have not gone to war but face troubled personal relationships, money problems or legal woes.

but then you'd also have to know when you read something like this, the stories have all been told before.

One such case was Army Spc. Christopher Nguyen, 29, who killed himself last August at an off-post residence he shared with another member of the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, N.C., according to his sister, Shawna Nguyen.

"He was practically begging for help and nothing was done," she said in an interview.