# Military suicide rate hit record high in 2012



## James Kovacich (Jan 21, 2013)

Really Sad. Obviously the result massive stress from these long term un-needed wars. It would of been differant if Bush truly finished the war in Afghanistan instead prematurely claiiming victory so he could invade Iraq. 

http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/201...ary-suicide-rate-hit-record-high-in-2012?lite
Service members committed suicide during 2012 at a record pace: more than 349 took their own lives across the four branches, or one every 25 hours, a Department of Defense spokesperson confirmed Monday.

The Army sustained the heaviest suicide toll at 182, a dark tally that  as NBC News reported Jan. 3  marked another frightening first as soldier suicides last year outpaced the 176 Army members who were killed in combat while serving Operation Enduring Freedom, according to Pentagon officials.

During 2012, there also were 60 suicides among active-duty members of the Navy, 59 in the Air Force and 48 in the Marine Corps. Throughout the U.S. military, suicides increased by nearly 16 percent from 2011 to 2012, figures show. The Department of Defense has been issuing annual reports that track suicides since 2008, said spokeswoman Cynthia O. Smith.


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## ballen0351 (Jan 21, 2013)

Didn't we just swear Obama in for his second term meaning he already served one 4 year term.  Pretty sure Obama could have ended these Wars if he wanted to.  Get off Bush's Jock he hasn't had any power in 4 long hard years.

I would also suspect 349 military people in a year is well below the national average


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## ballen0351 (Jan 21, 2013)

ballen0351 said:


> I would also suspect 349 military people in a year is well below the national average


Looks like of you take the nation as a whole then the military numbers per 100000 are higher
If you only take the national average of people the same age demographic as the military 18 to 35. The military average  is much lower


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## Tez3 (Jan 21, 2013)

ballen0351 said:


> Didn't we just swear Obama in for his second term meaning he already served one 4 year term. Pretty sure Obama could have ended these Wars if he wanted to. Get off Bush's Jock he hasn't had any power in 4 long hard years.
> 
> I would also suspect 349 military people in a year is well below the national average



Get off Bush's Jock? I get the gist of what you mean but I don't dare ask what Bush's Jock is!

Here, it's ex servicemen who are more in danger of committing suicide that those actually serving. And it is men rather than women.

However, India seems to have a big problem with service suicides with figures that dwarf America's.  
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-17936070


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## Makalakumu (Jan 21, 2013)

I think it's far more important to look at the suicide rate of veterans in general, rather than active duty military.  The numbers are staggering, far worse for veterans that active duty.

http://www.statesman.com/news/news/local-military/veteran-suicide-after-returning-home/nSPW5/



> A drumbeat of media attention has accompanied the toll of active-duty suicides, along with a stack of official reports with titles like &#8220;Losing the Battle: The Challenge of Military Suicide&#8221; and growing alarm from the Department of Defense and Congress. Military suicides jumped about 50 percent between 2001 and 2008 and reached new highs this year: The 26 suicides in July more than doubled the Army&#8217;s total from the previous month. The Marines already have equaled their suicide total for all of 2011.
> But veterans such as Rivas, who die after leaving the military, are not included in the death count of America&#8217;s wars. And no one &#8212; including the Department of Veterans Affairs &#8212; seems to know how many Iraq and Afghanistan veterans are killing themselves after they are out of the service.
> An American-Statesman investigation into the deaths of 266 Texans who served during the Iraq or Afghanistan wars show that 45 committed suicide, making it the fourth-leading cause of death behind illness, accidents and drug-related deaths. That percentage is more than four times higher than the general population: *Suicide accounted for 3.6 percent of all Texas deaths over the same period, compared with 16.9 percent of the veterans the newspaper studied.*


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## arnisador (Jan 21, 2013)

It's a big concern for the military--I had to have a fair amount of training last summer in detecting and helping prevent suicidal behavior.


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## ballen0351 (Jan 21, 2013)

Tez3 said:


> Get off Bush's Jock? I get the gist of what you mean but I don't dare ask what Bush's Jock is!
> 
> Here, it's ex servicemen who are more in danger of committing suicide that those actually serving. And it is men rather than women.
> 
> ...


its vets here too Ive beeen to a few vet suicides in last few years


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## ballen0351 (Jan 21, 2013)

arnisador said:


> It's a big concern for the military--I had to have a fair amount of training last summer in detecting and helping prevent suicidal behavior.


Should be a big concern for all of us


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## James Kovacich (Jan 21, 2013)

ballen0351 said:


> Pretty sure Obama could have ended these Wars if he wanted to.  Get off Bush's Jock he hasn't had any power in 4 long hard years.



All I was trying to say is we could of done a better job from the get go. Iraq was a mistake. Afghanistan would of been a differant war if we didn't invade Iraq. 

Actually Obama did end 1 war and he is getting close to ending the other. Its the Republicans that are barking about not ending the war to soon. Obama is doing exactly as he said he would do, end the wars.

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## K-man (Jan 21, 2013)

Tez3 said:


> Get off Bush's Jock? I get the gist of what you mean but I don't dare ask what Bush's Jock is!
> 
> Here, it's ex servicemen who are more in danger of committing suicide that those actually serving. And it is men rather than women.
> 
> ...


Think you might have misread the figures. India, 1362 since 2001 vs 349 per year for the US.   :asian:


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## celtic_crippler (Jan 21, 2013)

That's sad... A guy in my Flight hung himself with a sheet when I was in Basic. I didn't understand it because several people who couldn't hack it were given entry level discharges which in no way impacts the rest of their lives... never goes on record. There had to be something else going on in his head. 

I hate to say it, and I know it's going to piss a lot of people off, but I can't help but wonder how much of it is related to the diminished discipline executed during their training. It was a lot different 20+years ago... and even then it was less disciplined than 10 years before that. They coddle a lot of these recruits now, comparitively speaking. So I wonder how many slip through the cracks that can't hack it that wouldn't have a few decades ago? 

And by the way, Obama has escalated the wars since taking office so, yeah... get off Busch's jock. That's after he promised to end them all and bring our troops home (which I'm for 110%). Oh yeah... and Gitmo's still open too.


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## Master Dan (Jan 21, 2013)

ballen0351 said:


> Didn't we just swear Obama in for his second term meaning he already served one 4 year term.  Pretty sure Obama could have ended these Wars if he wanted to.  Get off Bush's Jock he hasn't had any power in 4 long hard years.
> 
> I would also suspect 349 military people in a year is well below the national average


WEll if bush is so great why did he hide out the last 4 years not even his own party wanted him and his impact creating wars and economic devastations will last many decades I suppose you believe President Obama was born in Kenya? Long Live the King I hope we progress more this next 4 years and we increase Democrats in the house, Senate this next 4years.


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## celtic_crippler (Jan 21, 2013)

Master Dan said:


> WEll if bush is so great why did he hide out the last 4 years not even his own party wanted him and his impact creating wars and economic devastations will last many decades I suppose you believe President Obama was born in Kenya? Long Live the King I hope we progress more this next 4 years and we increase Democrats in the house, Senate this next 4years.



Talk about off topic... 

Way to high jack a thread about a very serious issue to make a political statement. But hey, it's what Liberal Progressives do, right? Take advantage of tragedy to further their goals.


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## Master Dan (Jan 21, 2013)

celtic_crippler said:


> Talk about off topic...
> 
> Way to high jack a thread about a very serious issue to make a political statement. But hey, it's what Liberal Progressives do, right? Take advantage of tragedy to further their goals.



Off Topic?? Lets see what was said I commented on? *Originally Posted by ballen0351

**Didn't we just swear Obama in for his second term meaning he already served one 4 year term.  Pretty sure Obama could have ended these Wars if he wanted to.  Get off Bush's Jock he hasn't had any power in 4 long hard years.

I didn't start the politics but death all death in the military has always been about politics and who is what party is in power effects that so whats your point. The premise of the thread is correct the deaths are related to the bad situation our men are put in. Romney would have us marching into Iran and who knows what else.*


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## Master Dan (Jan 21, 2013)

By the way we have gone under Obama from 144,000 in Afghanistan to 200 and the Iraq war is over under Obama why would anyone defend Bush over Obama in this. Yes I would like to see him bring all the troops home and work on infrastructure and other necessities there is a budget cut I couls support.


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## James Kovacich (Jan 21, 2013)

This thread isn't about Bush. I only made a point that Iraq didn't have to happen. We had over 10 members of our extended family (cousins kids) serve in Iraq and Afghanistan and the video that 1 of them brought back (from Iraq) was a shock. Our young family members went through a lot.

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## celtic_crippler (Jan 21, 2013)

James Kovacich said:


> This thread isn't about Bush. I only made a point that Iraq didn't have to happen. We had over 10 members of our extended family (cousins kids) serve in Iraq and Afghanistan and the video that 1 of them brought back (from Iraq) was a shock. Our young family members went through a lot.
> 
> Sent from my DROID3 using Tapatalk 2



God bless them and I thank them for their service. 

"War is hell"~ General Sherman

Which goes back to what I was alluding to in regards to how our troops are trained today. I really don't think they are as properly prepared mentally as they used to be.


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## Big Don (Jan 21, 2013)

celtic_crippler said:


> That's sad... A guy in my Flight



You were Air Farce? 

Gee, maybe the stress level among the troops would be lower if there weren't so many a-holes screeching about "unnecessary wars".
Saying you support the troops and taking every chance to decry where they are serving, isn't supporting them.
Blaming everything on Bush is the worst kind of childishness, sadly, we can look FORWARD to at least four more years of it. 
Where has Bush been for the past 4 years? He's retired and living his life privately. He and his wife, do take time to visit wounded troops.
Unlike Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, like his father, does not feel the need to see himself on TV every goddamn week.


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## arnisador (Jan 21, 2013)

The rate of deployments is way up.

The threat of IEDs and other unexpected attacks is nerve-wracking.

The popular support for the wars is low.

All of this is bad for the troops' morale and mental state.


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## Big Don (Jan 21, 2013)

Anyone who has ever used the words, "I support the troops, but..." deserves to be butt stroked.


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## James Kovacich (Jan 21, 2013)

Big Don said:


> Anyone who has ever used the words, "I support the troops, but..." deserves to be butt stroked.



I didn't use those words.

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## ballen0351 (Jan 22, 2013)

As cuts in military personnel ramp up I can see Vet suicides going up.  The military is making good people get out not allowing people to reenlist.  If your not ready and don't have a plan or a job ready combined with a feeling the mkitary turned its back on you I can see people giving up.


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## crushing (Jan 22, 2013)

When I think of soldiers and PTSD, I usually think of soldiers that were in the thick of it, getting shot at or in constant vigilance for IEDs.  In light of the US drone attacks that have lead to the deaths of possibly thousands of innocent men, women, and children around the globe over the last several years, I can't help but wonder if a drone operators a half a world away from any real danger could also develop PTSD.  I thought they had pretty cushy jobs, but what they do must eat at some of them as the body counts add up.  I hope their mental health needs aren't dismissed simply because they may have never been "in theater."


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## oftheherd1 (Jan 22, 2013)

crushing said:


> When I think of soldiers and PTSD, I usually think of soldiers that were in the thick of it, getting shot at or in constant vigilance for IEDs. In light of the US drone attacks that have lead to the deaths of possibly thousands of innocent men, women, and children around the globe over the last several years, I can't help but wonder if a drone operators a half a world away from any real danger could also develop PTSD. I thought they had pretty cushy jobs, but what they do must eat at some of them as the body counts add up. I hope their mental health needs aren't dismissed simply because they may have never been "in theater."



In my limited experience, PTSD is a very personal thing.  And it may not be related to direct combat.  I know a man who developed PTSD due to thinking he had not done his job correctly.  He was in a combat zone, but what he thought he had not done correctly had nothing to do with combat or even direct combat support.  

It also has to do with circumstances.  I mentioned before in another thread how when and where were important as to how a person might perceive time spent in a combat zone.  Fear is a very personal thing as well.  What scares one person to a lump of shaking jello, might be considered restful to another.  How do you account for that and give a person who is scared to death a different perspective?  

How about the person who allows guilt to overcome him and succombs to suicide.  Why is there guilt if the person did their job correctly?  Are they not living up to what they think are the expectations of them by others or themselves?  Where did they get that feeling of non-self worth?  That is, did they bring it with them and military service simply exacerbated the problem?

Which brings up a point.  The military members come from the civilian populace.  We don't breed people who from birth are raised to be soldiers and nothing else.  A lot of them bring their problems from civilian life into the military.  Some manage to get along, or sometimes even overcome it while serving.  For others, it is a downhill slide, which may or may not be made worse by the time in the military.  So whose fault is it?  Easy to blame the military.  But the military, at least in the USA, is under civilian control of the president who is commander in chief, and the congress, who can stop anything they want by cutting funding.

And Big Don, I have to disagree with you as to "Air Farce."  The Air Force has the longest tail of any of the services.  Their combat forces are actually very small, for all they do.  I personally know some Air Force veterans that might fit your description; they seem shallow, extremely self-centered, and unnecessisarily vendictive towards people from other services.  Guess what? I knew people like that in the US Army as well.  And I have known people who served in the Air Force that were standup people.  Good leaders.  Mind you, I sometimes tease those from other services myself.  But I always try to ensure they know it is simply teasing and that I respect their service abscent some reason otherwise.  Sorry, rant over.


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## oftheherd1 (Jan 22, 2013)

crushing said:


> When I think of soldiers and PTSD, I usually think of soldiers that were in the thick of it, getting shot at or in constant vigilance for IEDs. In light of the US drone attacks that have lead to the deaths of possibly thousands of innocent men, women, and children around the globe over the last several years, I can't help but wonder if a drone operators a half a world away from any real danger could also develop PTSD. I thought they had pretty cushy jobs, but what they do must eat at some of them as the body counts add up. I hope their mental health needs aren't dismissed simply because they may have never been "in theater."



It is a good question to dwell on.  You may remember a thread some time back about whether or not drone pilots should be given special combat decorations.  My opinion is no, but it is a question worthy of debate.  Some Air Force pilots have commented that dropping bombs or straffing little black dots is given a different perspective when they see what their actions have done on the ground.  But they are in fact in the combat zone risking return fire.  But as I mentioned above, PTSD is imho a very personal thing.  So who knows concerning PTSD for drone pilots.


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## WC_lun (Jan 22, 2013)

After a decade of war and our nations tendency to not want to take care of our warriors, is it really a suprise that suicide rates are so high.  The last ten years of war have been sureal in that no one really acts as if we are at war.  Men and women have been dying, but for most people it feels like something happening to another people, not something directly happening to us as a nation.  I can't imagine this is anything but isolating for our military, especially when they return to "normal" life.


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## sfs982000 (Jan 22, 2013)

arnisador said:


> The rate of deployments is way up.
> 
> The threat of IEDs and other unexpected attacks is nerve-wracking.
> 
> ...



Well put, I think this sums it up in a nutshell.


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## sfs982000 (Jan 22, 2013)

ballen0351 said:


> As cuts in military personnel ramp up I can see Vet suicides going up. The military is making good people get out not allowing people to reenlist. If your not ready and don't have a plan or a job ready combined with a feeling the mkitary turned its back on you I can see people giving up.



You bring up really good point here regarding the military cuts that are going on.  I've said for years that the military really doesn't do a good job at preparing members for that transition back into the civilian workforce.  It's better than what it was, but it's still no where near the level that it should be.  Granted there is some ownership on the members being separated to take charge of their careers and plan for that day, but overall the military needs to continue to improve in the transition assistance area.


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## ballen0351 (Jan 22, 2013)

sfs982000 said:


> You bring up really good point here regarding the military cuts that are going on. I've said for years that the military really doesn't do a good job at preparing members for that transition back into the civilian workforce. It's better than what it was, but it's still no where near the level that it should be. Granted there is some ownership on the members being separated to take charge of their careers and plan for that day, but overall the military needs to continue to improve in the transition assistance area.


I think its worse now.  people that plan to reenlist put in the paperwork only to be told a few months before there EAS date that they cant reenlist.  Shock to the system making things worse.


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## sfs982000 (Jan 22, 2013)

ballen0351 said:


> I think its worse now. people that plan to reenlist put in the paperwork only to be told a few months before there EAS date that they cant reenlist. Shock to the system making things worse.



I saw alot of that when I was active duty years ago as well, I saw a lot of good troops denied reenlistment which was a crying shame.  It's also becoming an issue with the reserves (at least in the Air Force), they seem to be kicking out folks left and right around here.  I'm actually relieved that I retired recently, the higher ups on my base here have really lost track of taking care of their folks and it's a trend that I'm noticing at other bases as well and I don't see it improving any time soon with the draw downs in personnel.


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## ballen0351 (Jan 22, 2013)

sfs982000 said:


> I saw alot of that when I was active duty years ago as well, I saw a lot of good troops denied reenlistment which was a crying shame. It's also becoming an issue with the reserves (at least in the Air Force), they seem to be kicking out folks left and right around here. I'm actually relieved that I retired recently, the higher ups on my base here have really lost track of taking care of their folks and it's a trend that I'm noticing at other bases as well and I don't see it improving any time soon with the draw downs in personnel.



Yeah one of the guys we just hired was telling me he had 12 years in the Navy.  I asked why he got out he was over half done he said it wasnt his choice.  Even with a letter of recomndation from an Admiral he said they put everyones name in the computer that want to reenlist and it pick randomly the number of people allowed and he wasnt picked.


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## oftheherd1 (Jan 22, 2013)

sfs982000 said:


> You bring up really good point here regarding the military cuts that are going on. I've said for years that the military really doesn't do a good job at preparing members for that transition back into the civilian workforce. It's better than what it was, but it's still no where near the level that it should be. Granted there is some ownership on the members being separated to take charge of their careers and plan for that day, but overall the military needs to continue to improve in the transition assistance area.



Just for the sake of curiosity, what can the military do other than what is authorized by congress?  And what can the military do period?  If you are talking about PTSD, wouldn't that better be handled by the VA?  Not trying to be confrontational, just curious how you see it.


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## sfs982000 (Jan 22, 2013)

ballen0351 said:


> Yeah one of the guys we just hired was telling me he had 12 years in the Navy. I asked why he got out he was over half done he said it wasnt his choice. Even with a letter of recomndation from an Admiral he said they put everyones name in the computer that want to reenlist and it pick randomly the number of people allowed and he wasnt picked.



Sounds very similar to what I experienced as well.  Again not to get side tracked from the main topic of this thread, I think a lot of the suicide issues can be prevented if the military steps up and starts taking better care of their troops bottom line.


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## oftheherd1 (Jan 22, 2013)

ballen0351 said:


> Yeah one of the guys we just hired was telling me he had 12 years in the Navy. I asked why he got out he was over half done he said it wasnt his choice. Even with a letter of recomndation from an Admiral he said they put everyones name in the computer that want to reenlist and it pick randomly the number of people allowed and he wasnt picked.



It is always a problem when congress and the citizens decide they no longer need a military of a certain size.  Some people who wanted to stay in after WWII and Korea weren't allowed to do so.  That kind of draw down is obvious.  There was also one after the end of the cold war.  Sometimes the military can get rid of the less productive servicemembers, but sometimes a lot of really good people get rif'ed out as well.


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## sfs982000 (Jan 22, 2013)

oftheherd1 said:


> Just for the sake of curiosity, what can the military do other than what is authorized by congress? And what can the military do period? If you are talking about PTSD, wouldn't that better be handled by the VA? Not trying to be confrontational, just curious how you see it.



I personally don't have a whole lot of faith in the VA myself, both from my own personal experience with an injury, but I've spoken with a number of folks that have returned from deployments that have very negative experiences from the treatment they recieved from the VA.  To answer your question, I'm not 100 percent sure what exactly the military can do additionally, but it just seems to me that as the suicide rate has been increasing they (the military) needs to seriously readdress their tactics in regards to that subject.  I'm not sure if outsourcing the care to another agency other than the VA is the answer or not.


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## oftheherd1 (Jan 23, 2013)

sfs982000 said:


> I personally don't have a whole lot of faith in the VA myself, both from my own personal experience with an injury, but I've spoken with a number of folks that have returned from deployments that have very negative experiences from the treatment they recieved from the VA.  To answer your question, I'm not 100 percent sure what exactly the military can do additionally, but it just seems to me that as the suicide rate has been increasing they (the military) needs to seriously readdress their tactics in regards to that subject.  I'm not sure if outsourcing the care to another agency other than the VA is the answer or not.



Well, it seems to me that the solution should be provided by the VA; that is one of the main things it was set up to do was to help the veteran.  Unfortunately, somewhere along the line, it seems they were given new directions.  I also, frankly, am not a big fan of the VA, although I think they may have been forced into some courses of action in favor of the veteran, like it or not.  Agent orange is an example.  They fought that tooth and nail for the longest time.

Even so, I still think that is where it should be done.  Keep it separate from military funding.  There is enough hue and cry about that now.  People want a military that can protect the nation, but they don't want to spend money to pay a decent wage, nor do they want to spend money to keep them with weapons on the cutting edge.  Never mind taking care of them if they are wounded, physically or mentally.  But yeah, it would take a much more veteran friendly administration, with a congress to fund it, and a citizenship to require it of congress.

Just as an aside, let me jump up on my soapbox on the draft.  When we had a draft, a majority of men, as well as a fair amount of volunteer women, spent time in the military.  They knew what it was all about; being in the military.  They had invested a part of their life in the defense of their country. If there was a question about spending for the military, or the VA, they had personal information from which to make judgements.  I just personally think it was a good system.  [/Soapbox]


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## ballen0351 (Feb 4, 2013)

With the huge number of War Vets now being phased out of the military do you think more of this will happen?



> HOUSTON &#8212; From his perch in hide-outs above battle-scarred Iraq, Chris Kyle earned a reputation as one of America&#8217;s deadliest military snipers. The Pentagon said his skills with a rifle so terrorized Iraqi insurgents during his four tours of duty that they nicknamed him the &#8220;Devil of Ramadi&#8221; and put a bounty on his head.
> 
> The insurgents never collected, and he returned home to become a best-selling author and a mentor to other veterans, sometimes taking them shooting at a gun range near his Texas home as a kind of therapy to salve battlefield scars, friends said. One such veteran was Eddie Ray Routh, a 25-year-old Marine who had served tours in Iraq and Haiti.
> But on Saturday, far from a war zone, Mr. Routh turned on Mr. Kyle, 38, and a second man, Chad Littlefield, 35, shortly after they arrived at an exclusive shooting range near Glen Rose, Tex., about 50 miles southwest of Fort Worth, law enforcement authorities said Sunday. The officials said that for reasons that were still unclear, Mr. Routh shot and killed both men with a semiautomatic handgun before fleeing in a pickup truck belonging to Mr. Kyle.


http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/04/us/chris-kyle-american-sniper-author-reported-killed.html?_r=0


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## Tez3 (Feb 4, 2013)

I don't know how it is with others countries services but here the ones least likley to manage in civvy street are the soldiers. In the RAf and Navy you have a trade that is useful for when you come out, you have to have educational qualifications to get in and gather more as you serve. These two services also allow considrable leeway into what their people do outside work and allow them huge responsibilities within work. In the army by it's very nature this doesn't happen, you rarely need qualifications to join, you don't actually need to be literate or numerate as the army will teach you. If soldiers have a medical/dental appointment it's put on orders and the NCO makes sure they go, in the other two services it's your responsibility to go as it would be in civvy street. If you experience financial, legal or any other type of problem the army will sort it out for you, the RAF and the Navy frown on you if you get into trouble as you are expected to sort this yourself, they will give help but you will not be thought much of. All this means when it comes time for demob whether voluntary or on redundancy the RAF and Navy can already sort life out for themselves, the soldiers mostly cannot. All have a time of resettlement training but it can't make up for as much as 22 years in the army of having everything done for you. Soldiers are by no means stupid, under educated most likely ( but what government wants thinking soldiers!) but are treated as children in many respects. When they are demobbed many feel they have landed in a foreign country where they can't under the langauge, money or housing etc. They get very lost, add to that the lack of camaraderie, lack of security, the very different sense of humour civvies have coupled with being unable and often unwilling to speak of their war experiences many take to drink and drugs and follow the inevitable slide down to hell.


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## sfs982000 (Feb 4, 2013)

Tez3 said:


> I don't know how it is with others countries services but here the ones least likley to manage in civvy street are the soldiers. In the RAf and Navy you have a trade that is useful for when you come out, you have to have educational qualifications to get in and gather more as you serve. These two services also allow considrable leeway into what their people do outside work and allow them huge responsibilities within work. In the army by it's very nature this doesn't happen, you rarely need qualifications to join, you don't actually need to be literate or numerate as the army will teach you. If soldiers have a medical/dental appointment it's put on orders and the NCO makes sure they go, in the other two services it's your responsibility to go as it would be in civvy street. If you experience financial, legal or any other type of problem the army will sort it out for you, the RAF and the Navy frown on you if you get into trouble as you are expected to sort this yourself, they will give help but you will not be thought much of. All this means when it comes time for demob whether voluntary or on redundancy the RAF and Navy can already sort life out for themselves, the soldiers mostly cannot. All have a time of resettlement training but it can't make up for as much as 22 years in the army of having everything done for you. Soldiers are by no means stupid, under educated most likely ( but what government wants thinking soldiers!) but are treated as children in many respects. When they are demobbed many feel they have landed in a foreign country where they can't under the langauge, money or housing etc. They get very lost, add to that the lack of camaraderie, lack of security, the very different sense of humour civvies have coupled with being unable and often unwilling to speak of their war experiences many take to drink and drugs and follow the inevitable slide down to hell.



From my experiences it's very similar here in the U.S., sadly I see an increase in the amount of suicides once they start phasing folks out of the military.  If a person is still serving and needs assistance with PTSD or any other personal issues they can be monitored better by their superiors, once they're discharged it will be very easy for them to fall off the radar and not get the treatment they need.


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## sfs982000 (Feb 4, 2013)

ballen0351 said:


> With the huge number of War Vets now being phased out of the military do you think more of this will happen?
> 
> 
> http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/04/us/chris-kyle-american-sniper-author-reported-killed.html?_r=0



Unfortunately I'm afraid there will be more instances down the road with the phase outs.


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## Tez3 (Feb 4, 2013)

Two weeks ago here, 3500 soldiers got their 'brown envelopes', ie made redundant. We didn't have enough jobs for people before they came out let along all these people to add to the list of those jobseeking.


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## Makalakumu (Feb 4, 2013)

http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/02/01/16811249-22-veterans-commit-suicide-each-day-va-report

22 veterans commit suicide each day in America. How unbelievably tragic...


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## sfs982000 (Feb 4, 2013)

Tez3 said:


> Two weeks ago here, 3500 soldiers got their 'brown envelopes', ie made redundant. We didn't have enough jobs for people before they came out let along all these people to add to the list of those jobseeking.



I have to reiterate that I don't think that the military does a good enough job of preparing member's for life after the military.  Many of their jobs are so specialized that they really don't translate well into the civilian job market.


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