US soldiers' suicide rate is up in Iraq

People Daily ^ | 01.15.03

[Dr. Marten]

US soldiers' suicide rate is up in Iraq

US soldiers in Iraq are killing themselves at an unusually high rate, despite the work of special teams sent to help troops deal with combat stress, the Pentagon's top doctor said Wednesday.

Meanwhile, about 2,500 soldiers who have returned from the war on terrorism are having to wait for medical care at bases in the United States, said Dr. William Winkenwerder, assistant secretary of defense for health affairs. The problem of troops on "medical extension" is likely to get worse as the Pentagon rotates hundreds of thousands of troops into and out of Iraq this spring, he said.

Both situations illustrate the stresses placed on the troops and the military's health system by the war in Iraq.

Suicide has become such a pressing issue that the Army sent an assessment team to Iraq late last year to see if anything more could be done to prevent troops from killing themselves. The Army also began offering more counseling to returning troops after several soldiers at Fort Bragg, N.C., killed their wives and themselves after returning home from the war.

Winkenwerder said the military has documented 21 suicides during 2003 among troops involved in the Iraq war. Eighteen of those were Army soldiers, he said.

That's a suicide rate for soldiers in Iraq of about 13.5 per 100,000, Winkenwerder said. In 2002, the Army reported an overall suicide rate of 11.1 per 100,000.

The overall suicide rate nationwide during 2001 was 10.7 per 100,000, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

By contrast, only two US military personnel killed themselves during the 1991 Persian Gulf War, although that conflict only lasted about a month. The Army recorded 102 suicides during 1991 for a rate of about 13.5 per 100,000.

The military investigates every death and some of those probes may be incomplete, meaning the actual suicide rate could be even higher, Winkenwerder said. He said health officials haven't identified any common threads among the confirmed suicides.

Source: agencies

[mylife]

Ahhhh Chinee Plopaganda!

[sigSEGV]

That's a suicide rate for soldiers in Iraq of about 13.5 per 100,000, Winkenwerder said. In 2002, the Army reported an overall suicide rate of 11.1 per 100,000.

You put the average person in a stinking hot hellhole and you'd think the suicide rate would be higher than that. Am I the only one wondering what the point of this article is?

[Uncle Miltie]

The People's Daily:

With publication started in June 1948 and a current circulation of 3 million, People's Daily is the most influential and authoritative newspaper in China. According to UNESCO, it takes its place among the world top 10.

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Consider the source.

[Uncle Miltie]

"a suicide rate for soldiers in Iraq of about 13.5 per 100,000, Winkenwerder said. In 2002, the Army reported an overall suicide rate of 11.1 per 100,000."

With about 130,000 troops in theatre, this means maybe 2.4 extra suicides! Quick, write a report! Imperialists committing hari kari!

[mylife]

I wonder what General Meyers thinks about this in the chinese rags during his visit?

[sigSEGV]

Apparently, life as a soldier in Iraq is only half as bad as a civilian in China. from http://www.chinatoday.com/data/data.htm

Suicide & Suicide Rate: 2002 statistic shows there are 287,000 people commit suicide in China every year (about 22 per 100 thousand population), which is 42% of total suicide in the world. (Data of 2001)

[mylife]

Nice catch sigSEGV!!!!

[Uncle Miltie]

Whoa! You're saying that civilian Chinese commit suicide at about twice the rate of American GIs? Musta be racist statisticians!

[ATCNavyRetiree]

Considering what a hellhole Iraq is right now (it's a hellhole even if a war wasn't going on) it is surprising that the rate is only 2.8 per 100,000 higher than the U.S. average!
Therefore, statistically, although any soldier death is tragic (hippie boys and girls can knock themselves off all they want to) it doesn't look like much of an issue.

[Dr. Marten]

I would not be so quick to dismiss it just because it is in the Chinese newspaper. Foreign news agencies often report on issues before the government releases such things to their own media.

There was an incident last year which was reported in the Bangkok Post and many here on FR dismissed it as BS, but it was then reported in the US media the next day.

[Mike Darancette]

Only suicide I saw was a Ukrainian Captian.

11/18/03 Bondarenko, Aleksiey Captain 34 Ukrainian Army 5 Separate Mechanized Brigade Non-hostile - weapon discharge (suicide) Al Kut Zaporoze Ukraine UKR

[mylife]

I would not be so quick to dismiss it just because it is in the Chinese newspaper

I dont doubt there motives at all.

[Burkeman1]

It is Chinese propaganda. And if you have facts to prove otherwise from our government then please post it.

[Wolverine]

U.S. Suicide Rates by Age, Gender, and Racial Group

 

Posted: December 12, 2003

[Dr. Marten]

Oh, I am quite sure that there are political motives in reporting this and even though I dont believe most of what I read on the PD until I have verified it elsewhere, Im not always quick to dismiss it as just propaganda either. Sometimes, they dont need propaganda when we provide them with the ammunition to shoot us in the foot.

[blackbart.223]

"There was an incident last year which was reported in the Bangkok Post and many here on FR dismissed it as BS, but it was then reported in the US media the next day.

I don't find them a credible source either. Dan Blather Et. Al.

[mylife]

Yikes wolverine I feel depressed now.

[Dr. Marten]

Is this Chinese Propaganda too?

 

Army's suicide rate has outside experts alarmed

[mylife]

Oh, I am quite sure that there are political motives in reporting this

Thats all Im saying too. I believe that suicide occurs in war, it is a messy buisness and has powerful effect on men.