Root out macho mystique and treat troubled soldiers
By A TIMES EDITORIAL
Published September 8, 2007
Service in the U.S. military is difficult and dangerous, taking a personal and often tragic toll on combat personnel in battle. In addition to causing physical injuries, war leaves large numbers of soldiers with severe psychological problems that motivate many to commit suicide.
But because a macho mystique - bravery, stoicism and selflessness - underpins military duty, top brass traditionally have been slow to discuss mental health problems and suicide among the ranks.
The human costs of the so-called global war on terror, however, are forcing officials to go public. In its latest report on suicide, the Army acknowledges that 99 active-duty soldiers killed themselves in 2006. Officials also report that 948 soldiers tried to kill themselves last year. The highest number of suicides ever reported by the Army came in 1991, during the Persian Gulf War, when more soldiers were on active duty.
Many officials conducting the dual wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are worried about the causes of the high number of suicides. The Army's report states that broken personal relationships, financial and legal crises are motivating factors. Researchers also found strong connections between suicide attempts and the number of days deployed in Iraq, Afghanistan other regions where troops participate in the fighting. And psychiatry consultants are taking special note of the relationship between suicides and failed marriages and long deployments.
As a result of the 99 suicides, the 948 attempts and the ongoing war, the Army is creating new programs for mental health care and is strengthening old programs, designed for peacetime, that are now inadequate because of the large increase in the number of battle-scarred soldiers needing care.
Surveys in Iraq found that 20 percent of Army troops show symptoms of posttraumatic stress. Back home, 35 percent of soldiers returning from the war are seeking mental health treatment. Officials worry that some of these troops will become suicide statistics if they do not get help.
Given the troops' personal sacrifices for the nation, the taboo against acknowledging mental health problems and suicide in the military should be abolished. Officials have a duty to provide the troops with the counseling and medical care they need. The suicide of one active-duty soldier is one too many.