Army suicides hit record number in June

[defendandprotect]

Army suicides hit record number in June

by Liz Goodwin


Thirty-two soldiers took their own lives last month, the most Army suicides in a single month since the Vietnam era. Eleven of the soldiers were not on active duty. Of the 21 who were, seven were serving in Iraq or Afghanistan, the Department of Defense said.

Army officials say they don't have any answers to why more and more soldiers are resorting to suicide.

"The heavy stigma associated with mental health care stops many service members and veterans from seeking treatment," he said. "More than half of soldiers and Marines in Iraq who tested positive for a psychological injury reported concerns that they will be seen as weak by their fellow service members."


http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_upshot/20100716/us_yblog_upshot/record-number-of-u-s-soldiers-commited-suicide-last-month



-------------

A long overdue subject for Congressional investigation --

and note this even more alarming info --

He pointed out that the statistics don't include the number of veterans who end their own lives. That figure surged 26 percent from 2005 to 2007, according to the Veterans Affairs Department.