It’s Official: Our Soldiers Need Help

Yesterday I wrote about suicides being on the rise in the military, but that was before the official numbers came in. Now they’re in, and as projected, the news is devastating:

Army Suicides In 2008 Hit Highest Level Ever Recorded [Hartford Courant]

Army suicides at record high, passing civilians [Associated Press]

Here’s an excerpt from the AP article:

At least 128 soldiers committed suicide in 2008, the Army said Thursday. And the final count is likely to be even higher because 15 more suspicious deaths are still being investigated.

“Why do the numbers keep going up? We cannot tell you,” said Army Secretary Pete Geren. “We can tell you that across the Army we’re committed to doing everything we can to address the problem.”

It’s all about pressure and the military approach, said Kim Ruocco, 45, whose Marine husband was an officer and Cobra helicopter pilot who hanged himself in a California hotel room in 2005. That was one month before he was to return to Iraq a second time.

She said her husband, John, had completed 75 missions in Iraq and was struggling with anxiety and depression but felt he’d be letting others down if he sought help and couldn’t return.

“He could be any Marine because he was highly decorated, stable, the guy everyone went to for help,” Ruocco said in a telephone interview. “But the thing is … the culture of the military is to be strong no matter what and not show any weakness.”

It is encouraging to know, however, that the Army plans to take action. From the Hartford Courant:

The first efforts will take place from mid-February to mid-March, when commanders throughout the Army conduct a two- to four-hour “stand down” at which every soldier will be trained to recognize a troubled colleague and effectively intervene.

Army officials said they would also continue efforts to reduce the stigma associated with seeking mental health care, and would work to ease the transition for soldiers returning from war zones. Col. Elspeth Ritchie, the Army’s top psychiatrist, also made an explicit plea for mental health workers to join the military. The Army has tried for more than a year to hire 300 new psychiatrists and psychologists and is still looking to fill about 50 positions.

“Anybody out there who’s interested: We are hiring and we need your help,” Ritchie said.

In a bad economy, it’s nice to know there’s someone hiring.

liz | 11:08 AM | military