Thursday, August 16, 2007

Army Suicides Up   [David Freddoso]

The Associated Press is reporting that the suicide rate in the Army is at a 26 year high (17.3 per 100,000), based on a report yet to be released. Although the article does not explicitly say where the report comes from (which is odd), it appears to be from the Pentagon.

Failed personal relationships, legal and financial problems and the stress of their jobs were factors motivating the soldiers to commit suicide, according to the report. It also found a significant relationship between suicide attempts and the number of days deployed in Iraq, Afghanistan or nearby countries where troops were participating in the war effort.

The report isn't out yet, but it will be interesting to see exactly what it says. It would also be good to compare it to the overall rate last year, which I'm still looking for — the overall U.S. suicide rate in 2004 was 11.1 per 100,000.

In any case, it's a somber reminder of the magnitude of the sacrifices our soldiers are making to serve their country.

08/16 11:13 AMShare