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Contributing Factors Of Soldier Suicides After Combat Deserves More In-Depth Study
Jan 8, 2013

Contributing Factors Of Soldier Suicides After Combat Deserves More In-Depth Study

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veteranWithin the last few days, it was  reported on MSNBC that soldier suicides in 2012 were higher than deaths caused during the same period in combat.

Certainly, this topic needs a great deal of attention. But it also needs more in depth reporting with regard to contributing factors.

Watching the MSNBC interview, the rate of deployment/redeployment of our troops was appropriately raised as a contributing factor to soldier suicides, however, the interview was void of discussion about other important contributing factors.

Where was the discussion in this MSNBC story about suicide-prevention, Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) & Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)?

Where was the discussion about the  over medication of too many of our troops returned from combat?

Where was the discussion about the 1-2 years our soldiers are stuck in Warrior Transition Units (WTU’s) awaiting medical retirement, often separated from family for much of that time period?

A topic this serious requires far more serious, in depth reporting about the contributing factors.

Our soldiers risk their lives for our freedoms on six month and twelve month tours of duty at a time.  Hopefully reporters can squeeze in a bit of extra time to really examine the multitude of factors contributing to this serious issue.

Our soldiers are committing suicide on the home front. This deserves much more than a cursory discussion in the media.

Tiffany Cloud Olson is the author of Sleeping with Dog Tags.

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  • soldiermom11

    This is a very complicated question. But I think part of the problem is multiple tours, too much bureaucracy, maybe a skills transition program between active and civilian duty, better communication with troops, and having a commander in chief who makes winning, not surrendering, the mission. Our troops don’t mind sacrificing for their country if the mission is to win. They resent leaving a country by surrender. For example, my son had 3 tours in Iraq. When he transferred from a base in Texas to a base in Georgia, the TX base told him he absolutely had to have off base housing. He had always been given an amount by the ARMY to cover housing. After he paid to move, and get a home, set up a household, he was denied any of the housing allowance he had been expecting and had been paid whenever he moved before. This base in Georgia doesn’t give allowances. This really wreaks havoc on a sergeants pay. Instead of being focused on his job, he was distracted by problems at home. My son is ok but I think it is very frustrating after you sacrificed 3 years of your life in a place like Iraq. There are lots of things that could make things better and I think screening at the recruitment stage should be a little more adept at picking out the ones lacking in coping skills. Ask the families what would be a better way of doing things. If we can win a world war in 3 years starting from scratch, seems to me we can cut down on the number of suicides in the military.