AP, "62 confirmed suicides this year", and 31 more not added yet among active Troops. Why so many suicides?

IMO it's a psychological flaw, fostered by the dog eat dog culture in the United States. It leads to people being more concerned about other people's OPINIONS of them, than their own EMOTIONAL welfare. This emotional being inside must be affected, in some way or another, by the horrors of Iraq (or A'stan). Instead of actually KILLING yourself to escape it, you could just REFUSE! LET (whoever) think (whatever), do your time in the stockade, and survive it with your faculties intact. You're not in the Nazi Army--you don't get executed for refusing. IMO, why your soldiers are killing themselves is because, bizarrely, they fear DEATH LESS THAN IGNOMINY.

Addendum:

T.Klyde (above) said:

"What most people don't understand is that killing another human being is an act that is not comparable to any else you can experience."

He didn't menyion how much WORSE it must be when you're ordered to do what you're doing NOT to soldiers of another country, but to INNOCENT IRAQI CITIZENS, some of whom are "insurgents". What about the GUILT of a 300lb guy ordered to beat up a weakling, which is how the US Army compares to its "enemy" in Iraq? Would THAT not contribute to a feeling of self-hate, in some US soldiers? It's not a WAR, is it?

If I had a choice of committing an atrocity by order, or being drummed out of the Army as a "coward" I'd feel pretty sh*tty myself.

If you read the actual stats on this issue you find that the numbers from before Iraq to now have changed little. There is an increase but the increase is small in comparative views. It is also thought that many suicides before the Iraq conflict were never associated with the military but drug/alcohol addictions and personal problems. This throws off the true stats. They have also concluded that the majority of mental health issues concerning soldiers in Iraq stem from personal problems at home, being in combat just made things worse. In other words, there are many who should not have been deployed to Iraq. Many bases are now requiring mental health screening before anyone is deployed to a warzone. The MHAT (Mental Health Advisory Team) studies have made several recommendations to make things better which includes prescreening, mental health services in combat areas, and training to military leaders on how to recognize problems.

Your figures are inaccurate, it is 30% of those returning suffer with PTSD, not 50%. And most of those are regular Army that do not have a support group at home ie family. Reservist with families have the lowest rate. The majority can and will recover if they get the proper treatment. Part of the problem is the stigma of getting mental health services. The military is working to improve this by prescreening before going and screening after returning home. Some units are being required to go through post screening every six months in an effort to catch all PTSD.

Why is there more mental health problems in the military today than in WWII? Largely it is the difference in how soldiers were transported. Since Vietnam soldiers have been transported via airplane and quickly returned home. Earlier wars they were transported by ship which often took over two months to return home. During that time they were able to basically have group therapy everyday and were ready for real life by time the ship docked. Today they go from war zone to home life in less than a week. They end up recovering without those who understand what they've been through.

The military is actively hiring more therapist and making a push for providing full mental health services before, during, and after deployments. Suicide and PTSD rates will start falling.

I'm 62 years old, I did two tours of duty in Viet Nam, the stress of being in a combat zone is enough by itself to kill you. When you are in a combat zone and the enemy and the ally are from the same country, you never know who is going to try and kill you. The fear and stress are enormous if you cannot cope with it. I saw 19 year old kids,

who just a few months before were eating pizza with their friends having a good time and now they were asked to put their life on the line and to kill someone. Some take their life for what they have done to another human being, others for what they saw and lived through. Everyone is different, each have their own reason, but it's not the war, but what the war makes of you.

I think that the deaths are caused by broken relationships and separations. Being deployed over and over could be a factor but i don't think so.Out of the twenty years i served, i was overseas 13 years. Three years were in war zones and the rest in Korea and germany. Yes, i missed my wife and children and saw and experienced things i will not talk about, i was never depressed so bad to even think about doing harm to my self. I do think about all the soldiers that served in Vietnam (like me) that were never viewed for PTSD. I think 58,000 died in that war and i do not know how many thousands served. Shouldn't the Vietnam Vets be put on the top of the list for PTSD?

Remember this when looking at suicides..I will use these numbers as examples only..

Lets say last year we had 200 suicides..Well during peace time years we would of had about 150 suicides.

Yes they have increased with these conflicts but they have always been around and it is only because others have negative agendas that they start making these numbers a huge story..

Why not give a **** during peace time when they kill themselves?

Common sense will tell you that some people will kill themselves as a result of what they have gone through. Many others would of killed themselves regardless of military or no military.

And here is a news flash..Suicides have always been a part of the military and always will be..Many people who are emotionally messed up enlist and this is another factor accounting for these deaths.

Yes, there may be an increase, but 93 out of 1.2 million is a small number.

Also, since you didn't post the article, is that out of the current military or all veterans? If you add in veterans that got our, there are a lot more then 1.2 million.

The stats I have seen said only 20% have PTSD and most are fairly minor issues. I would be interested in reading the report you found also.

I would be interested in reading it myself if you have links. Thanks.

What most people don't understand is that killing another human being is an act that is not comparable to any else you can experience. Killing another human being is something that weighs on your day after day. How could you live with yourself after killing a child, even if by accident. I know I couldn't. Even if you follow orders to a T, things can still go wrong.

because when you send children to fight for this a ...hole bush

one gets very depressed and see you what you do to innocent people that makes you want to die

Probably because they want to come home. Wouldn't you?