[Straight Vermonter]

And, while only 1 percent of Americans have served in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, veterans of these conflicts represent 20 percent of all suicides in the United States, the VA reported.

Not sure where the VA got those numbers. There are more than 38,000 suicides in the US each year. If US service members commit suicide at a rate of 1 per day (from the article) that represents about 1% of the suicides per year not 20%.

The rate of suicide for Americans aged 15-54 is about 15/100,000. The rate of suicides for service members is 13/100,000. Each one of these deaths is a tragedy but it would be hard to say that suicides among service members is "out of control" when they are at a rate lower than that of the general population.

[tired&retired]

The suicide rate for military had been half of that for the same age group civilian. It is now approaching equal numbers.

[hattend]

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