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Military Suicide Study

Flash

Flash

SEVAL/ECMO
None
Super Moderator
Contributor
A new study apparently contradicts what has been the general public assumption that the rise in the suicide rate in the military is directly related to the increased deployment tempo, including deployments to war zones. Having reviewed many Navy and Marine SITREP/OPREPs that covered suicides/suicide attempts/suicide suggestions I would be inclined to agree, the majority of folks involved were very junior enlisted just a short time into their enlistment and a significant number had never deployed at all, much less to a combat zone.
 
LFCFan

LFCFan

*Insert nerd wings here*
One of the bad implications of this study is that it will probably be an ongoing problem once the troops are (pretty much) all home, rather than something we just need to do a better job preventing during the next conflict. The article does suggest that the high ops tempo at home even when not deployed may be a factor, but even once things slow down there, I imagine that our troops will have to do a lot more with less as we cut deeper into the budget, thus keeping things more stressful than they were prior to the wars.
 
voodooqueen

voodooqueen

DAR Lapsarian
Maybe the trend of troops taking online courses will help with some of the dis-association experienced by people who are deployed for extended/multiple tours. It may be a way to step out of the environment--metaphorically.
 
Recovering LSO

Recovering LSO

Suck Less
pilot
Contributor
While I'm not sure I agree 100% with Voodooqueen's point, I think the point was that being able to remain plugged in with an outside community (online college courses) has provided an outlet or link back to the real world. Again, I don't necessarily agree with this assertion, but I don't think the reference was to NKO-esque training. Voodooqueen?
 
voodooqueen

voodooqueen

DAR Lapsarian
pourts said:
Yeah, online training will rarely, if ever, be the correct answer to anything.
Click to expand...
I hear you-- lol-- , although I do teach online sometimes. What I mean is that the guys who are in Afghanistan, for example, are somewhat cheered up by spending time with people who are not family (that is civilians who don't want something) ,and they are in a variety of other, non-war zone, locations. Also, the other students are supportive, and sympathetic. How terrible that there is no hot water in Afghanistan today...

I understand it is their job, and that stress comes with that job, but it would be nice to know that you are not forgotten. (Go ahead--call me blond and sappy...lol...)
 
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