Combat Stress Driving Up Army Crime, Drug Abuse, Suicides

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Combat Stress Driving Up Army Crime, Drug Abuse, Suicides
9 hours ago
David Wood
Chief Military Correspondent

The U.S. Army, under the accumulating stress of nine years at war, is suffering an alarming spurt of drug abuse, crime and suicide that is going unchecked, according to an internal study that depicts an Army in crisis.
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As a result, more soldiers are dying by drug overdose, accident, murder and suicide than in combat. Suicide is now the third-leading cause of death for soldiers.

"Simply stated, we are often more dangerous to ourselves than the enemy,'' concludes the extraordinary internal Army investigation commissioned by Gen. Peter Chiarelli, the Army's vice chief of staff.

The study also found that across the Army, leaders have lost visibility and accountability over their soldiers, in many cases unaware that soldiers under their command had abused drugs, committed crimes or even previously tried to commit suicide. Drug testing is done only sporadically, the study found, and there are no central repositories for criminal data.

More:
http://www.politicsdaily.com/2010/10/17/combat-stress-driving-up-army-crime-drug-abuse-suicides/