Did you know that suicide since 2001 are 6 times higher than those killed in action?

Yes about 6 times higher to the tune of 30,000+ as opposed to about 7,000 killed in action.

New research released Monday shows the post-9/11 wars launched by the U.S. military since 2001 have resulted in over 30,000 suicides by active duty American solders and veterans—over four times the number killed in combat operations.

According to Brown University’s Costs of War Project—established in 2010 to account for the loss of lives and taxpayer dollars spent on U.S. wars in Iraq and Afghanistan—an estimated 30,177 veterans and service members have killed themselves over the last nearly two decades, compared with 7,057 members of the military who have been killed in combat. 

The findings were compiled from interviews, government data, and secondary literature.

“The V.A. 2020 National Veteran Suicide Prevention Annual Report reveals the suicide rate of veterans overall and adjusted for age and sex is 1.5 times that of the general population,” the report reads. “This rate is likely a conservative one because, unlike earlier reports, the V.A. only counts veterans who were federally activated, leaving out Reservists and National Guardsmen who were not federally activated.”

https://www.commondreams.org/news/2021/06/21/over-30000-us-veterans-post-911-wars-have-killed-themselves-2001

This is a growing problem and the Pentagon has done little to help…..

But why is this a growing problem?

While the Department of Defense, Veterans’ Administration, and other organizations are trying to address this alarming trend, one component that must be further integrated and supported is the family. Depression and suicide do not happen in a vacuum, and these events have a profound impact on those in the service member or veteran’s life. 

Military service members, war veterans, and their families carry the costs of war daily. Most civilians in our country have been fortunate to not have experienced, at least directly, the horror of the Global War on Terror. But many U.S. servicemembers — especially those who have done multiple tours of duty — have. Traumatic events like IED blasts (with accompanying traumatic brain injury) carry significant impact even after a deployment ends and service members return to American soil. This can lead to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. The Rand Corporation, in a 2019 report entitled Improving the Quality of Mental Health Care for Veterans, identified that up to 20 percent of deployed individuals experience PTSD, up to 44 percent have a dependency on alcohol, and 48 percent of those who deployed experienced strains in family life

Why are tens of thousands of post-9/11 service members killing themselves?

We can find billions for new ways to kill but very little to help the veteran that is fighting inner battles because of those weapons.

Pathetic track record on veteran issues….the Pentagon treats veterans like broken tools…they discard them and find news one to screw up.

And yet our Congress throws their support behind veterans with every election and then soon forget them as quickly as they can in favor of more ‘popular’ issues…..and the voter allows this as well.

But the bigger question is….do Americans not involved in this situation actually care how many of our vets are taking their lives?

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