March 28, 2004: The suicide rate among American troops in Iraq is being reported as being unusually high. But suicide rates among troops normally increase during a major war, especially one involving fighting against irregulars. The suicide rate for army troops in Iraq over the last year has been 17.3 per 100,000 soldiers, compared to the overall Army rate of 11.9 per 100,000 between 1995 and 2002. This is higher than the overall rate for all branches of the military during the Vietnam war, which was 15.6, and a 3.6 rate for all branches during the 1991 Gulf War. The...
