Joint Chiefs chairman warns of rise in military suicides

[unhappycamper]

Joint Chiefs chairman warns of rise in military suicides
By Bryan Bender
Globe Staff / September 30, 2010

WASHINGTON — The nation’s top military officer said yesterday that he expects suicides by service members, already alarmingly high, and other family crises to increase in the coming months as large numbers of troops return to their bases after years of multiple deployments.

“I think we are going to see a significant increase in the challenges that we have in terms of our families,’’ Admiral Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters at a breakfast sponsored by the Christian Science Monitor.

With the drawdown of US forces in Iraq accelerating, service members are finally beginning to receive a respite from frequent back-to-back tours of duty since 2003 — particularly for Army and Marine Corps units.

For bases such as Lewis-McChord, an Army and Air Force installation in Washington state, that means an influx of soldiers and aviators. “I was taken aback that at Fort Lewis by the end of October, 36,000 troops will be back,’’ Mullen said. “We have never had that many troops there, certainly not since 2003.’’

Yet that also means commanders must deal with a large number of troops with significant personal challenges who are back for the first extended period with their families.

[safeinOhio]

1. Kasich's tv ads say nothing

just actors shaking their heads in agreement with his talks that say nothing. This add says a lot.

K/R :kick:

[Solly Mack]

2. One of the things I've noticed about the first few days when soldiers are back

- especially single soldiers - is the shopping. Lots and lots of shopping. HUGE TVs. Stereo systems. Multiple gaming systems. A car. All kinds of other things.

Married soldiers do the same - buy a lot of the same things...just not as much.

I'm not sure I can explain it... but it was the almost frenetic way they go about buying the stuff that held my interests. I know some of it is the celebration of life....and just being able to do it.....but I saw a great deal of the same sort of high that people addicted to shopping get from shopping.....they weren't buying because they needed the stuff or particularly wanted the stuff....they got a thrill from it.


A little later on you see some of the same soldiers and they will have moved on to the next thrill - clubbing. Upon your return you're confined to post...so any charged feelings you have have to be used up on post...but then you're free to leave post. You're reminded to avoid booze the first few days....that's how it is done on this post anyway...so now you're free to go off post...and again...frenetic...thrill....not true enjoyment.

And sooner or later the realization hits that everything you thought you were missing ain't what's missing...and you can see this change in their faces.


And I've often wondered if suicides spiked just after that realization and if that was the time the military should be taking special care to be involved in what's going on with the soldiers.

If I can see it...surely others can.