Concern mounts over rising troop suicides (5 try every day)

[Ichingcarpenter]

Source: CNN

Every day, five U.S. soldiers try to kill themselves. Before the Iraq war began, that figure was less than one suicide attempt a day.

The dramatic increase is revealed in new U.S. Army figures, which show 2,100 soldiers tried to commit suicide in 2007.

"Suicide attempts are rising and have risen over the last five years," said Col. Elspeth Cameron-Ritchie, an Army psychiatrist.

Concern over the rate of suicide attempts prompted Sen. Jim Webb, D-Virginia, to introduce legislation Thursday to improve the military's suicide-prevention programs.

Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/02/01/military.suicides/index.html

[lyonn]

1. Damn, this war makes no sense to the troops either....nt

[Ilsa]

2. Yep, they are coming back into our society, depressed, traumatized,

and their "supporters" just want them to "buck up" so they don't have to spend any defense dollars on their healthcare. Shame on Bushco for not anticipating and planning for the crisis.

[Desertrose]

3. If we thought Viet Nam vets were messed up..here comes another group

that's got it even worse if thats possible.

I can't begin to imagine how these people can cope with the horror that they have witnessed - or worse. To try to fit back in this surreal society....no wonder they feel suicide is the best or only option.

Very very sad.

War sucks except for those who profit from it- certainly not the ones who have to live through it.

[wtmusic]

4. They are not "trying" to kill themselves

1) They are wounding themselves to get shipped home
2) They are committing suicide and the Army is labeling it as an "attempt" to soften the impact.

A moron can be successful at suicide with a rifle.