U.S. Special Ops Are Soldiers Committing Suicide in Record Numbers

[OwlHoot]

Soldiers see things that are hard to cope with, and they do things often under pretences that they later doubt ...

I suspect the majority of those suicides have nothing to do with self-recrimination like that (even if they claim it does, to justify themselves), but stem mostly from the loss of camaradarie and support, although surely they must have vets associations and reunions and suchlike, not to mention lucrative employment contacts.

Also, maybe physical disablement is sometimes a cause - I mean for example if a healthy young man has his genitals blown off on active duty, as no doubt some have done in Afghanistan, it's easy to imagine he might feel pretty down after leaving the service.

[SpontaneousOrder]

It's take a certain type to face the hell these guys witness.

It's worth remembering, too, that your average squaddie is in the Army because he has no prospects and soldiering is better than being on the dole or prison. The training/conditioning will help them cope in the moment, but I don't think it makes much difference after the fact.

[scooterscot]

I've heard this story along those lines before. It's take a certain type to face the hell these guys witness. Picking reservists who are in regular day jobs will simply not do. When you consider the current downsizing of the army only to be replaced with reservists in our time of need it makes for worrying future.

[MyUserName]

I think there's a massive difference between those that join the army as a career choice and those that are reservists.

My brother was in Iraq and they had TA soldiers in their unit. Once they were setting camp up once they were hit by suicide bombers and some gun fire. My brother gave orders for this and that and the TA guys point blank refused to do it. He said it is not the TA soldier's fault, they don't have the training for that sort of scenario and just panicked. None of the regulars wanted them there as they were a continual liability but the orders came from up high, they hated being there because it was horrible but they also had to contend with being hated and not trusted by their own side. I hope they got some help and counselling when they came back to the UK.

[scooterscot]

It's not that uncommon in the Uk either. There have been a lot more US soldiers involved in more violence recently, so I suspect that if you normalised the figures they wouldn't be much different.
Soldiers see things that are hard to cope with, and they do things often under pretences that they later doubt

It's a shame that soldiering is a young man's game.

I think there's a massive difference between those that join the army as a career choice and those that are reservists.

[SpontaneousOrder]

It's not that uncommon in the Uk either. There have been a lot more US soldiers involved in more violence recently, so I suspect that if you normalised the figures they wouldn't be much different.
Soldiers see things that are hard to cope with, and they do things often under pretences that they later doubt

It's a shame that soldiering is a young man's game.

[scooterscot]

I heard that suicide in the US military was a problem, and that more personnel died from suicide that combat. But it seems the situation has become even worse over the last couple of years.

Imagine signing up to join the army and being told, you're twice as likely to die here in the US by your own hands than in a foreign land at the hands of the enemy.

The US is a missed up place.


U.S. Special Ops Troops Committing Suicide in Record Numbers - TIME

U.S. Special Ops Are Soldiers Committing Suicide in Record Numbers

American Flags Planted On National Mall To Honor Service Members Who Committed Suicide
U.S. military veterans set up 1,892 American flags on the National Mall March 27, 2014 in Washington, DC. The Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America installed the flags to represent the 1,892 veterans and service members who committed suicide this year. Win McNamee—Getty Images
Updated: April 18, 6 a.m. ET

U.S. special operations forces personnel are committing suicide in record numbers, according to a top military official, due to the traumatic effects of years of war.

Admiral William McRaven, who leads the Special Operations Command, told a conference in Tampa, Fla. that members of elite units like the Navy SEALs and Army Rangers have proved prone to depression and self-harm over the past two years, reports Reuters. “And this year, I am afraid, we are on path to break that,” he said.

“My soldiers have been fighting now for 12, 13 years in hard combat—hard combat,” McRaven added. “And anybody that has spent any time in this war has been changed by it. It’s that simple.”

Although precise figures were not provided, it is well known that the U.S. military has been struggling with suicides for a long time. In 2012, the estimated 350 active duty servicemen and servicewomen across the American armed forces that committed suicide surpassed the number lost in combat.

[Reuters]