By James Cogan in the USA:
US military suicides reach new high
2 December 2009
The number of serving American military personnel who took their lives in 2009 has already exceeded last year’s record. These suicides are first of all tragic. Secondly, they indicate the immense psychological harm that the neo-colonial wars in Afghanistan and Iraq have inflicted on members of the armed forces.
The US Army, the largest branch of the military, suffered the most dramatic increase. By 16 November, 140 soldiers on active duty and 71 National Guard and Reserve personnel had taken their lives this year—a total of 211. By comparison, there were 52 Army suicides in 2001. The number steadily rose over the following years, reaching 197 in 2008.
The overall suicide rate in the US Army has reached 20.2 per 100,000 personnel.
Pingback: More United States soldiers’ suicides | Dear Kitty. Some blog
Pingback: More US military suicides | Dear Kitty. Some blog
Pingback: United States veteran-novelist Roy Scranton interviewed | Dear Kitty. Some blog
Pingback: Florida school massacre, why? | Dear Kitty. Some blog
Pingback: Life expectancy declines in USA, Britain | Dear Kitty. Some blog