Military suicide rate is 'out of control'

We need to stop pretending and hoping more legislation will do any better than the last 7 years worth have done. The AP put the spotlight on military suicides in 2007. "Army soldiers committed suicide last year at the highest rate in 26 years" because there were 99 suicides. 2007 brought the Joshua Omvig Suicide Prevention Act signed by President Bush. It was also the same year members of the clergy were getting educated on Combat PTSD. A year later, the VA Suicide Hotline announced it had received 37,000 calls and saved 720.

It seems like every year another politician comes out with another bill without ever understanding if it will work or not.

Veterans group says military suicide rate is 'out of control'
Lohud.com
Written by
BRIAN TUMULTY
Washington Bureau

WASHINGTON — Suicide prevention is the No. 1 legislative priority this year for the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, says Paul Rieckhoff, the group’s founder and CEO.

His New York-based organization, with 270,000 members, also supports the effort by Democratic Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York to have military prosecutors rather than commanders make decisions on whether to prosecute sexual assault cases in the armed forces.

Gillibrand expects a Senate vote on her proposal in the next couple of weeks.

As chairwoman of the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Personnel, Gillibrand also plans to convene a hearing this winter on the link between sexual assaults in the military and suicides.
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