The real reason behind military suicides

Wounded Times
Kathie Costos
April 27, 2014

When they survive combat but can't live long enough to heal, there is a reason behind it.

A year ago I published THE WARRIOR SAW, SUICIDES AFTER WAR covering the under reported facts surrounding the reasons behind military suicides. Every report in it was taken from news reports on Wounded Times. None of it was secret information but most of what is in it had been ignored.

Comprehensive Soldier Fitness was pushed on every member of the military since 2009 yet afterwards, suicides and attempted suicides increased. This finding came at the same time efforts to reduce suicides were at an all time high. More and more military folks were seeking help as well as more veterans. It also came with a hefty price financially.

While reporters repeated what military brass and elected officials were telling them, on this side of the fence, what veterans were saying showed the reason behind the rise in their suffering.

When officials say they are doing something to address the problems but things get worse, it robs these men and women of hope they can heal. When they do not get the best help available, they lose the thought their lives really matter.

The following is from the Department of Defense Suicide Event Report and for 2012 military suicide report While the report was "generated on December 20, 2013, it has just been released.
Results

According to AFMES data as of 31 March 2013, there were 319 suicides among Active component Service members and 203 among Reserve component Services members (Reserve [n = 73]; National Guard [n = 130].

The suicide rate (per 100,000 Service members) for the Active component was 22.7 and for the Reserve component was 24.2 (Reserve – 19.3, National Guard – 28.1). Per policy, the DoDSER system collected data on suicides for all Service members in an Active status at the time of death, including Service members in the Reserve components (i.e., active or activated2 Reserve/National Guard).

The distribution of suicide DoDSERs across the four included Services was as follows: Air Force – 57 (17.9%), Army – 155 (48.7%), Marine Corps – 47 (14.8%), and Navy – 59 (18.6%).

These counts included reports for both confirmed suicides and probable suicides pending a final determination. Of these suicides, 259 were confirmed by AFMES as of 31 January 2013, the date used for the evaluation of DoDSER submission compliance. For 2012, all Services achieved 100% submission compliance.

A total of 841 Service members had one or more attempted suicides reported in DoDSER for CY 2012

This part is very troubling considering it points out that many of them had been diagnosed and sought help for "mental health" issues, in other words, PTSD in most cases.

The primary method for suicides was the use of a firearm (n = 207; 65.1%). The majority of firearms used were non-military issued firearms (n = 157; 75.8% of events involving a firearm). For suicide attempt DoDSERs, the use of drugs was the most frequently reported method (n = 476; 54.8%).

•A total of 91 suicide DoDSERS (28.6%) and 191 suicide attempt DoDSERs (22.0%) reported that the Service member had communicated potential for self-harm prior to the event.

•A total of 134 suicide DoDSERs (42.1%) and 452 suicide attempt DoDSERs (52.0%) indicated a history of a behavioral health diagnosis. The most frequently reported diagnosis among the suicide DoDSERs was adjustment disorder (n = 82; 61.2% of DoDSERs with a behavioral health diagnosis); among sui- cide attempt DoDSERs, the most common diagnostic category was mood disorder (n = 293; 64.8% of DoDSERs with a behavioral health diagnosis).

•A majority of DoDSERs for both suicides (n = 194; 61.0%) and suicide attempts (n = 588; 67.7%) specified that the Service member had accessed health and/or support services during the 90 days prior to the event. The most frequently used services for both event types were a military treatment fa- cility (MTF; suicides [n = 177; 91.2% of DoDSERs in which access was reported]; suicide attempts [n = 446; 75.9% of DoDSERs in which access was reported]) and outpatient behavioral health (suicides [n = 91; 46.9% of DoDSERs in which access was reported; suicide attempts [n = 399; 67.9% of DoD- SERs in which access was reported]).

•Family and relationship stressors during the 90 days prior to the event were the most common type of stressor reported among suicide DoDSERs (n = 129; 40.6%). This type of stressor was also the most frequently reported among suicide attempt DoDSERs (n = 377; 43.4%).

•A total of 151 suicide DoDSERs (47.5%) and 312 suicide attempt DoDSERs (35.9%) reported a his- tory of deployment in support of Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF), Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF), and/or Operation New Dawn (OND).

Maybe now something will be done to change what they have been doing because one other factor to consider is that the percentage of troops seeking to end their pain has gone up, in the process, so has the suffering of family members doing whatever they can to survive.

Which federal branch is lying about military suicides?

Which federal branch is lying about military suicides?
by Kathie Costos
Wounded Times Blog
April 3, 2013

If what they were doing was working I would be the last one to complain about any of this no matter how much money was spent. I know what it is like for the veterans and their families. I know what it is like to try to deal with guilt after suicide ended the life of someone loved. Above all of that I am also deeply saddened by the knowledge of what it is like on the other side of this darkness when they begin to heal, when families begin to thrive and they rush to help others like them.

What is going on here? Billions spent on Suicide Prevention and PTSD but we ended up with the highest numbers? The DOD says "no connection between deployments and suicides" but the National Institute of Mental Health said the opposite.

In February I posted No Link Between Deployment, Suicide in Military

Young, white men most at risk
By JASON KOEBLER
February 22, 2013

A study released Friday has found that demographics, and the ending of a relationship—and not deployment status—are most closely associated with suicides in the Army National Guard.

Between 2007 and 2010, 294 members of the Army National Guard committed suicide. The suicide rate for members of the National Guard was higher than that of members of the active Army (1 in 3,225 National Guard committed suicide, compared to 1 in 4,000 for the Army.) The suicide rate in the general population is 1 in 5,000.

The report was published in Armed Forces and Society, a military studies journal, and was written by Army Research Psychologists James Griffith and Mark Vaitkus. "Primary risk factors associated with having committed suicide among the 2007-2010 [National Guard] suicide cases were age (young), gender (male), and race (white)," according to the report. People who fall into that group are also most likely to commit suicide in the general population.
The report found very little relationship between whether a soldier had faced active combat and whether they committed suicide, but the study suggests that problems at home that may be associated with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder could have an impact on whether a soldier takes his or her own life.

"Military-related variables, including having been deployed and combat exposure, showed little relationship to suicide," the report says. "There was some evidence that postdeployment stressors were associated with suicide intentions, namely, loss of significant other and major life change."

This is from PBS in 2012

Why Soldiers Keep Losing to Suicide
December 20, 2012, 10:57 am ET by Sarah Childress
Most soldiers who take their own lives today have no history of deployment. They’ve never seen combat, never been to war.

Nobody really knows why.

And although the military’s suicide problem flared during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, so far it doesn’t seem to be ending with them.

About 53 percent of those who died by suicide in the military in 2011, the most recent year for which data is available, had no history of deployment to Iraq or Afghanistan, according (pdf) to the Defense Department. And nearly 85 percent of military members who took their lives had no direct combat history, meaning they may have been deployed but not seen action.

That is the claim they have been making all along. This is what the Generals, Chiefs of Staff for the Army, Marines, Navy and Air Force have been saying. This is what the Department of Defense has been saying. This is what the reporters keep repeating without ever asking for proof.

The proof has been in the billions of dollars spent on Resiliency programs, to prevent PTSD and Suicide Prevention to prevent suicides leading up to last year with the highest suicide rates. Billions? Yes! Not that the media has managed to track any of it down. This is from 2010 America's war veterans are at high risk of suicide. The suicide rate among our active military now surpasses that of the general population. Military suicides have risen to record levels for four straight years. Rising rates can be linked to a number of factors, including multiple redeployments, combat injuries, extreme stress on marriage and family relationships, and reluctance of service members to seek treatment. There were 160 reported active-duty Army suicides during 2009, up from 140 suicides in 2008. For 2009, there were 78 confirmed suicides among Army Reserve soldiers not on active duty, up from 57 such deaths in 2008. Suicide is the 11th leading cause of death among all Americans.

PTSD Treatment Efforts for Returning War Veterans to be Evaluated
National Institute of Mental Health
September 30, 2009

Joan Cook, Ph.D., of Yale University and colleagues have been awarded funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 to evaluate the implementation of two evidence-based psychotherapies for treating post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among veterans. The grant addresses the NIH Challenge Grant topic "Strategies to Support Uptake of Interventions within Clinical Community and Settings."

Strategies for promoting evidence-based PTSD treatments in the military are urgently needed as more and more soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan struggle with this disorder. The research team will characterize and assess the implementation of two types of therapy—prolonged exposure (PE) therapy and cognitive processing therapy (CPT)—within the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) residential PTSD treatment programs. PE involves helping people confront their fear and feelings about the trauma they experienced in a safe way through mental imagery, writing, or other ways. In CPT, the patient is asked to recount his or her traumatic experience, and a therapist helps the patient redirect inaccurate or destructive thoughts about the experience.

Dr. Cook and colleagues will partner with the Northeast Program Evaluation Center, which monitors all VA mental health programming and patient outcomes, and the National Center for PTSD, which oversees the dissemination of PE and CPT nationally among VA providers. They plan to monitor and assess the efforts of more than 250 mental health providers in residential PTSD treatment settings via online questionnaires, semi-structured interviews, and on-site observations.

Army STARRS Preliminary Data Reveal Some Potential Predictive Factors for Suicide
March 22, 2011

The following findings are preliminary. They involve relatively few descriptive predictors and do not account for complex events or interactions. Researchers plan to do additional work with a much larger historical dataset and with survey data from the All Army Study and the New Soldier Study (two Army STARRS components) to test these initial findings.

The main preliminary findings include the following:
TIME: The suicide rate increased over time for soldiers in all settings (i.e.., those never deployed, currently deployed and previously deployed).

DEPLOYMENT: The suicide rate was highest among those who are currently deployed (18.3 deaths per 100,000) and dropped after deployment (15.9 per 100,000). For the entire TAIHOD dataset (from 2004 through 2008), 23 percent of the soldiers studied were currently deployed, 42 percent had never been deployed and 35 percent had been previously deployed but were not currently deployed.

Here are some more links
Military Suicides and the money behind them
57% Military suicides happened after they sought help
Where has all the money gone on Suicide Prevention?
$1.7 billion for higher suicides and attempts in 2012?

Marine Mom pleads for respect for families like her's after suicide

There are almost 500 families from last year alone with the same pain this Mom of a Marine had.

Military suicide victims deserve respect
I am a Gold Star mother. For those of you who do not know what that is, a Gold Star mother has a child who died in combat. There are many Gold Star mothers in the Lehigh Valley. Many of their children's names are engraved on military monuments, except for those who committed suicide. That means my son.

I am very upset that he gave his life to protect the USA and that this is how he is being treated. There have been more deaths among soldiers and Marines from suicide in the last year than fatalities in battle zones. What makes one death different from the other? My son did things and saw things that he should not have seen. He was buried with military honors. He deserves to be honored and acknowledged that his sacrifices stood for something. Marine Sgt. Christopher Scott Thomas was born Aug. 12, 1986, and died Dec. 15, 2008. How would you like to read your 22-year-old son's name instead of my son's name in that sentence?

Lynda Gehris
Springfield Township

Take a look at the numbers for last year for the Army, Army National Guards and Army Reserves.

Army Releases December 2012 and Calendar Year 2012 Suicide Information
The Army released suicide data today for the month of December and calendar year 2012. During December, among active-duty soldiers, there were seven potential suicides: three have been confirmed as suicides and four remain under investigation. For November, the Army reported 12 potential suicides among active-duty soldiers: four have been confirmed as suicides and eight remain under investigation. For 2012, there have been 182 potential active-duty suicides: 130 have been confirmed as suicides and 52 remain under investigation. Active-duty suicide number for 2011: 165 confirmed as suicides and no cases under investigation.

During December, among reserve component soldiers who were not on active duty, there were 15 potential suicides (10 Army National Guard and five Army Reserve): four have been confirmed as suicides and 11 remain under investigation. For November, among that same group, the Army reported 15 potential suicides (12 Army National Guard and three Army Reserve): 10 have been confirmed as suicides and five remain under investigation. For 2012, there have been 143 potential not on active-duty suicides (96 Army National Guard and 47 Army Reserve): 117 have been confirmed as suicides and 26 remain under investigation. Not on active-duty suicide numbers for 2011: 118 (82 Army National Guard and 36 Army Reserve) confirmed as suicides and no cases under investigation.

When the news reports came out, the National Guards and Reservists were not in the total of the numbers they released but I can assure you, the families included them.

Military Suicides Hit Record
During 2012, there also were 60 suicides among active-duty members of the Navy, 59 in the Air Force and 48 in the Marine Corps. Throughout the U.S. military, suicides increased by nearly 16 percent from 2011 to 2012, figures show. The Department of Defense has been issuing annual reports that track suicides since 2008, said spokeswoman Cynthia O. Smith.

Military Suicides Up Again, Enlisted Down

42 minutes ago
Military suicides up slightly in 2014 
The Associated Press
By LOLITA C. BALDOR

WASHINGTON — Suicides among members of the active-duty military personnel rose slightly in 2014, led by increases in the number of sailors and airmen who took their own lives, new Defense Department figures show. There were fewer suicides by Army soldiers and Marines, the two services that have seen the most combat in Iraq and Afghanistan over the last decade.

According to preliminary Pentagon data, there were 288 confirmed and suspected suicides by active-duty personnel in 2014, compared with 286 in 2013. Both totals, however, represent a sharp drop from the 2012 number of 352. The data was obtained by The Associated Press. Over time the numbers may change, particularly if deaths that were initially believed to be suicides are found to be otherwise. The number of suicides by members of the active-duty National Guard and Reserve decreased a bit last year, after going up slightly in 2013. Those totals are included in the overall 2014 numbers.

According to the data, the number of Navy suicides increased from 43 in 2013 to 58 in 2014; Air Force suicides increased from 52 to 60. Marine suicides declined from 45 in 2013 to 35 in 2014, and Army suicides decreased from 146 in 1013 to 135 in 2014.

According to the latest numbers available, the military suicide rate is sharply higher than the civilian rate. The civilian rate for 2012 was almost 13 suicides per 100,000 people.

The military suicide rate for 2012 was 21.8 per 100,000. Military suicides hit a record high in 2012, at 352, but had begun a somewhat steady rise in 2006. read more here

Forbes business writer should have stayed out of clueless claim

First read who wrote the article I am about to attack. "Tim Worstall, Contributor I write about business and technology." He should have stuck to writing about the things he knows about and stayed away from something he doesn't have a ------- clue about. Yes, I left the letters out but if you can count I am sure you can figure out what was on my mind.

This is his headline

But There Isn't An Epidemic Of Suicide In The US Military

I was very surprised to see this headline in The Guardian today:

US military struggling to stop suicide epidemic among war veterans

It’s not all that unusual for The Guardian to snipe at the US military of course, but something about the way the subject was being treated puzzled me.

Is this a story about how much better military medicine has got or one about how the system is driving huge numbers into suicide? The way the paper tells the story it’s that there is indeed some epidemic of suicide sweeping through the ranks of the military and veterans. And my problem is that having looked at the numbers I just don’t see it.

I should of course point out that any and every suicide is a tragedy. Both for the person dying and for those they leave behind. And I would go on and insist that just one suicide is one too many. However, it’s also necessary to note that suicide does indeed happen in all walks of life. What we need to know is whether there are more than the normal number in one specific profession or occupation. Only then can we start to argue that there’s something specific to that occupation that leads to suicide.

Apparently he knows about as much about the business behind addressing the epidemic of suicides tied to the military as he does about history. He doesn't seem to have a clue how much money the military has been spending on addressing this non-existant issue. BILLIONS A YEAR ARE SPENT BECAUSE THERE IS A CRISIS!

If you want to know what the crisis is, how much was spent or what can be done to stop them, read THE WARRIOR SAW, SUICIDES AFTER WAR and know what this "business" writer can't seem to understand. By the way my friends in the UK military are dealing with the same problem, and Canada and Australia but they are looking to the US for leadership on this.

Worstall used this quote

In 2012, for the first time in at least a generation, the number of active-duty soldiers who killed themselves, 177, exceeded the 176 who were killed while in the war zone. To put that another way, more of America’s serving soldiers died at their own hands than in pursuit of the enemy.

This is a better one.

Officials Uphold Commitment to Suicide Prevention Solutions
By Amaani Lyle
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, March 21, 2013 – A panel of Defense Department and service officials told Congress today their efforts to address military suicides will persist.

Jacqueline Garrick, acting director of the Defense Suicide Prevention Office, told the House Armed Services Committee’s military personnel subcommittee the service member suicide rate had increased from 10.3 to 18.3 per 100,000.

For 2010, Garrick said, the U.S. suicide rate for males, ages 17 to 60 – an age demographic that best matches the armed forces -- was 25.1 per 100,000, which rose from 21.8 per 100,000 in 2001.

“DOD fervently believes that every one life lost to suicide is one too many, and prevention is everybody’s responsibility,” she said. “This fight will take enormous collective action and the implementation of proven and effective initiatives.”

Garrick and service representatives outlined how their programs incorporate the latest research and information on suicide prevention and how leaders are tackling the problem. “While physical injuries may be easier to see, there are many invisible wounds such as depression, anxiety [and] post-traumatic stress that also take a significant toll on our service members,” said Lt. Gen. Howard B. Bromberg, the Army’s deputy chief of staff for personnel. “ … Suicidal behavior is an urgent national problem that affects all Americans across all dimensions of society, including those who have chosen to serve the nation.”

DOD officials saw leveling in suicide rates for 2010 and 2011, Garrick told the House panel, but they expect an increase in the suicide rate for 2012 upon the completion of investigations and final determinations of manner of death.

But then again he also used the wrong numbers

Army Releases December 2012 and Calendar Year 2012 Suicide Information

The Army released suicide data today for the month of December and calendar year 2012. During December, among active-duty soldiers, there were seven potential suicides: three have been confirmed as suicides and four remain under investigation. For November, the Army reported 12 potential suicides among active-duty soldiers: four have been confirmed as suicides and eight remain under investigation. For 2012, there have been 182 potential active-duty suicides: 130 have been confirmed as suicides and 52 remain under investigation. Active-duty suicide number for 2011: 165 confirmed as suicides and no cases under investigation.

During December, among reserve component soldiers who were not on active duty, there were 15 potential suicides (10 Army National Guard and five Army Reserve): four have been confirmed as suicides and 11 remain under investigation. For November, among that same group, the Army reported 15 potential suicides (12 Army National Guard and three Army Reserve): 10 have been confirmed as suicides and five remain under investigation. For 2012, there have been 143 potential not on active-duty suicides (96 Army National Guard and 47 Army Reserve): 117 have been confirmed as suicides and 26 remain under investigation. Not on active-duty suicide numbers for 2011: 118 (82 Army National Guard and 36 Army Reserve) confirmed as suicides and no cases under investigation.

Who is responsible for military suicides now?

Who is responsible for military suicides now?
by Kathie Costos
Wounded Times Blog
January 5, 2012



If no one is held accountable for military suicides what do you think will happen?

A year ago today this was the headline

Marine Corps suicides plunge
2010 drop is first in four years; but reported attempts continue to climb
Written by
Gretel C. Kovach
9:46 a.m., Jan. 5, 2011

The number of suicides among active-duty Marines dropped last year for the first time since 2006, plunging 29 percent below 2009's record high, according to preliminary figures released by the Marine Corps.

In 2010, 37 Marines committed suicide, compared to 52 in 2009. The latest numbers include nine suspected suicides yet to be confirmed by the Armed Forces Medical Examiner.

The number of attempted suicides, however, continued to climb, with 173 attempts in 2010 compared to 164 the previous year. That is the highest number since the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq began.

Rigorous new reporting requirements for attempted suicides may be partly responsible for the higher numbers of documented attempts in recent years, said Lt. Cmdr. Andrew L. Martin, a clinical psychologist who took over in September as manager of the Marine Corps Suicide Prevention Program.

This was released before the December figures came out for 2012

Big news the earth is not round and too many suicides
Of that total, the Army accounted for 168, surpassing its high last year of 165
53 sailors took their own lives, one more than last year.
The Air Force and Marine Corps are only a few deaths from record numbers. Fifty-six airmen had committed suicide as of Nov. 11, short of the 60 in 2010.
There have been 46 suicides among Marines, whose worst year was 2009 with 52.

Yet this was the headline yesterday for the Army.

Majority of Army casualties in 2012 likely suicides
CBS NEWS
January 4, 2013

The number of active-duty Army service members who died by their own hands in 2012 potentially has surpassed the number killed in action, according to data from the Pentagon. And as the number of Americans killed in Afghanistan declined in 2012 from the previous year, the number of suspected suicides has risen.

Preliminary information released by the Army in December showed that, as of November, there have been 177 suspected active-duty suicides: 113 have been confirmed as suicides, while 64 remained under investigation. Among not-on-active-duty service members (Army National Guard and Army Reserve) there have been 126 suspected suicides: 97 have been confirmed as suicides and 29 were under investigation.

In contrast, the Department of Defense said 295 Americans were killed in Afghanistan in 2012, out of a total 394 ISAF forces killed while supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

U.S. Army officials have been worried about the suicide rate despite the military's efforts to increase outreach and programs aimed at recognizing troubled service members.
read more here

I tried to leave a comment on CBS about how much they were missing in the report but it didn't go through. Imagine that! Anyway, my comment was about the fact that when they point out the "non-deployed" troops they never seem to mention the fact that when you take a kid out of high school, put them through training, that in itself is traumatic for some of them. They are not prepared for it but they can't just say, "I quit" and go back home as if they quit a job pumping gas. They train to use their weapons, facing the fact they are training to kill someone at the same time they are discovering bullets are the least of the things they need to be afraid of. The IED attacks killing many and wounding more is an initiation they didn't expect. Still that is not the only problem they face with training. They are trained to also be "resilient" so they can become mentally tough enough and prevent PTSD. That tells them they are weak minded and as for sharing their fears it is hell no! I've been saying this since 2008 and now there is proof I was right. Read this part.

Almost three-quarters of troops who commit suicide do not inform others they are thinking about harming themselves, according to the latest Department of Defense Suicide Event Report. In light of that, the military trains troops to be vigilant for signs of suicidal tendencies among comrades. North County Times

Yet congress has held no one accountable for any of this. The DOD admitted they did not spend all the money they received for PTSD and suicide prevention, then add in all the funding for research that was done and redone over the last 40 years topping off with the fact the suicide prevention hotline states they have rescued 30,000 and the cherry on top of that is we still have all these deaths all this time later.

Wonder what the headline will be next year?

The sad truth about military suicides

The sad truth about military suicides

Wounded Times Blog 

By Kathie Costos

June 7, 2013

The goal of the Comprehensive Soldier Fitness program is to ensure the strength of a soldier’s physical and physiological health – a valiant goal with a hefty price tag of $125 million, according to published reports. The fact is, suicides among soldiers and veterans are on the rise, and this cost is much higher than reports indicate. 

While researching my book, “The Warrior Saw, Suicides After War,” I was able to uncover billions of dollars that have been spent throughout this program’s existence.This should not come as a shock to anyone as many experts expressed concern with CSF from the start. There was fair warning in 2009 that if this program was implemented, we would see a rise in military suicides. Sadly, the facts prove the program is not working.

Last year resulted in the highest suicide rate in military history, according to the Department of Defense (DOD). In 2012, there were “182 potential active-duty suicides.”

Indiana Senator Joe Donnelly (D) lamented about how 43% of the servicemembers did not seek help before committing suicide.  This means that 57% of the servicemembers did seek help before committing suicide.

The DOD also stated that in 2012 there were “143 potential not on active-duty suicides (96 Army National Guard and 47 Army Reserve). When the media cited “349” suicides they included incidents in the Marine Corps, Navy and Air Force but they left the ‘not on active-duty’ numbers out. Should they matter? Yes. From 2001 to 2005 National Guardsmen and Reservists were 28% of the deployed forces but 53% of the suicides.

The DOD stated that “In spite of the increased loss of life to suicide, with calendar year 2012 being our highest on record, the Army is confident that through our continued emphasis in the services, programs, policies, and training that support our Army family, we will overcome this threat to our Force.”

The media has been accepting statements like this as reality but the truth is far from it. Where is Congress on all of this now? Has anything really changed from what we knew would occur years ago?

In 2005 Senator Obama sat on the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee and spoke about the VA billion-dollar budget shortfall when Jim Nicholson was Secretary of Veterans Affairs. "I don't think anyone wants to look a returning soldier in the eye who fought and bled for our country and say 'sorry, but when it comes to getting health care, you're on your own,'” said Obama.

This is one case where the actions have not followed the ‘words.’ According to the American Federation of Government Employees, “the VA employed 1,392 Veterans Service Representatives in June 2007, compared to 1,516 in January 2003.“

And consider this. A 2008 published report via Gannett News Service stated that “Overall, the Army’s Medical Corps has downsized significantly since the Persian Gulf War in the 1990s, dropping from 5,400 to 4,300 physicians and from 4,600 to 3,400 nurses.”

The downsize also ended a beleaguered two-year tenure in which former VA Secretary Jim Nicholson repeatedly fought off calls for his resignation over the VA's unexpected $1.3 billion shortfall in 2005 that put health care at risk.

The DOD issued a Suicide Event Report, which states that in 2011 “There were 935 attempted suicides in the military with 915 individuals trying to kill themselves.  896 tried once, 18 tried twice and 1 tried three times. “

They have not released the final report for 2012 but we have already been warned the numbers are likely to go up once they compile the data.

“DOD officials saw leveling in suicide rates for 2010 and 2011,” Jacqueline Garrick, acting director of the Defense Suicide Prevention Office, told the House panel. “But they expect an increase in the suicide rate for 2012 upon the completion of investigations and final determinations of manner of death.”

In the next two years the DOD will most likely say that military suicides have gone down, but that will be due to the decrease in forces and the withdrawal from Afghanistan. 

We will continue to see a drastic increase in veteran suicides unless we change our approach. It’s time to take action.

About Kathie Costos
Chaplain Kathie Costos is the author of “The Warrior Saw, Suicides After War,” and “For the Love of Jack His War/My Battle: Finding Peace With Combat PTSD," a true story on her family's struggle with the disorder. Costos is married to a Vietnam veteran with PTSD, and has dedicated 30+ years to the cause.

She developed the Wounded Times Blog in 2007 to serve as a resource for veterans and their families dealing with PTSD. Learn more at Wounded Times.

Military suicides and the power of the point

Military suicides and the power of the point
by Kathie Costos
Wounded Times Blog
January 28, 2013

There are too many people still asking why soldiers commit suicide. After all, the reasons have been known for over 40 years but when the military knows the answers, they ask a different question until they hear the answer they want to receive. Much like when facing the enemy, they want to know how many, where they are, what the weaknesses are and how well they are armed. That's how they defeat the enemy they can see but when it comes to the enemy they can't see, it is anyone's guess in the position of authority they listen to. Guess? Yes. Considering how long this has all been going on and the lack of progress in saving lives, they are still listening to the wrong people.

This came out in February of 2008 along with surveys and expert reviews of the Daddy of "Resiliency training" but the military pushed the program no matter how it failed those who serve.

The "Battlemind" program dealing with PTSD and TBI is simplistic almost to the point of being insulting - dealing with two very complex issues as a simple "cause and effect" scenario. The psych care afforded to active duty military personnel is at best "sketchy" and at worst, dangerous.

Again in 2008 there was this report but again, nothing substantial was done about it so we ended up with a record year of suicides in 2012.

'Battlemind' is the Soldier's inner strength to face fear and adversity with courage. Key components include: - Self confidence: taking calculated risks and handling challenges. - Mental toughness: overcoming obstacles or setbacks and maintaining positive thoughts during times of adversity and challenge.

Battlemind skills helped you survive in combat, but may cause you problems if not adapted when you get home.

Conclusions
• Multiple deployments and longer deployments are linked to more mental health and marital problems.
• Good NCO leadership is related to better Soldier/Marine mental health and adherence to good battlefield ethics.
• Good officer leadership results in Soldiers/Marines following ROE.
• Soldiers/Marines with mental health problems were more likely to mistreat non-combatants, highlighting the importance of getting them help early.
• Mental health services are most needed during the last six months of a year-long deployment since this is when Soldiers experience the most problems.

Now you have a bit more background on how we got where we are on addressing the enemy the DOD can't see.

'The storm' is coming
As the U.S. military suicide rate soared to record heights during 2012, the families of service members say they, too, are witnessing a silent wave of self-harm occurring within their civilian ranks: spouses, children, parents and siblings.

Some suicides and suicide attempts — like those that ravaged the Velez family — are spurred by combat losses.

Others may be triggered by exhaustion and despair: As some veterans return debilitated by anxiety, many spouses realize it's now up to them — and will be for decades — to hold the family together.

'Like an airborne disease:' Concern grows about military suicides spreading within families
By Bill Briggs
NBC News contributor
Before Army Spc. Andrew Velez left Texas for the final time, he asked his fragile sister to write him a promise – a vow he could carry with him to Afghanistan.

Monica Velez knew she owed him that much. In the horrid weeks after each had lost their beloved brother, Freddy Velez, to enemy fire in Iraq, Monica tried to end her life with pills and alcohol. Now, she put pen to paper: “I will not hurt myself. I will not do anything crazy. I know that Andrew loves me. I know that Freddy loved me.” Andrew folded her note and slipped it into his pocket.

“Don’t break your word to me,” he told her before heading back to war.

Seven months later, Andrew, 22, sat alone in an Army office at a base in Afghanistan. He put a gun to his head and committed suicide. Back in Texas, word reached Monica Velez who, once again, found herself in a dangerous place. Only now, she was alone. Days of alcohol and anti-depressants. Nights of dark thoughts: “It would just be better if I was gone.”
read more here

The Powerpoints can be, “for lack of a better term, overkill,” said Knowles, not part of the Connecticut Guard’s new outreach. “They jam it down your throat, and I don’t find it to be effective because you’re getting it SO much.”

Connecticut National Guard Feels Pain of Military Suicides Directly
Litchfield County Times
By Joe Amarante
January 27, 2013

When he heard of his good friend’s death by suicide recently, National Guard Capt. Kyle Knowles said he was shocked at first but not very surprised.

“He was just a tense kind of guy. I never would have thought he would do something that drastic, but he fit the bill.”

Knowles, a central Connecticut resident, husband and father who previously deployed to Iraq with the Massachusetts National Guard, now works on active duty in the ROTC center at Western New England University in Springfield. He spoke last week, a day before attending Massachusetts funeral services for his friend, who had PTSD and served at Iraq’s Abu Graib prison during one of two deployments.

“I don’t think he’d ever say, ‘Hey, I want to kill myself,’ but ... certainly somebody should have grabbed him and said, ‘Dude, are you just a stressed-out guy or do you need to really talk to somebody?’” Knowles said of the man he served with about 18 months ago.

Military suicides hit a record high last year at about one a day nationally amid a chorus of concern and a growing list of prevention efforts. Connecticut officials are feeling the urgency but also some confidence in their approach.

Col. John Whitford of the Connecticut National Guard said his units have had two and three deployments to the war zones. For each, they are first sent to a behavioral health specialist. But you can only prepare so much for mental and physical trauma, and sometimes it’s just white noise for a soldier headed into action.
read more here

Now for all the people trying to say that "oh well suicides in the general population have gone up too, there is this piece of information that once and for all should cut the claim down to the size it should be.

“Suicide is a national issue as well as one for the Army,” he said.

During World War II, suicide rates went down compared with what they were during peacetime, and physicians believed they understood mental health problems in the military, Dr. Ursano said.

Some 300,000 service members developed PTSD or major depression after tours in Iraq or Afghanistan.

In more recent times, suicide rates have increased during war. Rates for civilian and military suicides are now about the same when matched along age and gender demographics, but before the Iraq and Afghanistan wars started, the military suicide rate was about half of the rate for the general population.

War creates particular stress for servicemen and women. They are in high-tempo operation environments — where everything moves faster — at the same time that they are separated from family and significant others. Physicians who study military suicides often find depression or anxiety before such a death, but there are other variables.

The power of the point was reached a very long time ago. Showing soldiers a Power Point presentation not only bores them out of their minds, it is a waste of time, and as it turns out, deadly to their lives. If the military continues to push the programs that have not worked, the only thing they succeed at doing is insuring more soldiers take matters into their own hands. These folks are a lot different than the rest of the population.

Consider this. How can they be willing to survive during combat, doing whatever it takes to stay alive along with their buddies, yet back home, can't find any reason to stay alive another day?

Report says increasing number of suicides is unacceptable?

It would be impossible to count how many reports have come out over the years regarding military suicides but this is ridiculous.

Suicide Increase Impacts Volunteer Military

Report Says Recruitment Could Be Undercut

By Charley Keyes
CNN Senior National Security Producer
November 2, 2011

"The military must take care of its own," the report says. "Although a goal of no suicides may be unachievable, the increasing number of suicides is unacceptable."

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Military suicides are such a serious and growing problem that they threaten the future of the voluntary military, a new report warns.

The study from the Center for a New American Security says the upswing in suicides during the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq will undercut recruitment and public confidence.

"America is losing its battle against suicide by veterans and service members," the report says.

"As more troops return from deployment, the risk will only grow."

The report says that suicides have climbed steadily since in recent years.
read more here

How many more years will we read the same type of comments made and still see the suicide rate go up?

This report has been posted all over the web but it took James Dao of the New York Times to go further into the report listing the recommendations.

November 1, 2011, 5:10 PM
Report Hashes Out Battle Plan Against Military Suicides
By JAMES DAO
With military suicides remaining at a stubbornly high level in recent years, there has been no shortage of calls to action. But this week the Center for a New American Security, an influential military policy group in Washington, offered some specific recommendations for what the armed services, Department of Veterans Affairs and Congress could do to bring the rate down.

The report (PDF) by Dr. Margaret C. Harrell and Nancy Berglass acknowledges up top that there is some debate over whether deployment is clearly linked to suicides. The Army’s comprehensive report on suicide last year asserted that deployment may actually reduce the likelihood of suicide. And in an interview, Dr. Harrell, a fellow at the center, said that data indicates that in the Air Force, people who never deploy are more likely to kill themselves than those who do.

But the authors say recent research suggests that there may indeed be an association between deployment and suicide, including data showing that people with traumatic brain injury are 1.5 times more likely to die from suicide than those without it. And they summarize theories among some experts that the “protective qualities” of military service — including having a sense of belonging and of service — can erode after troops return from deployments and are separated from their units, sent to garrison duty or discharged into civilian life.
read more here

Among the steps listed is this

* Reducing the number of suicide prevention programs among National Guard units so there is a more consistent approach to suicide prevention across the nation.

Shocker! The number of suicides has gone up so they want to REDUCE the number of prevention programs? How about they take a look at the fact nothing they have listed will actually address the problem because up until now, they have proven to have failed.

The DOD is still under the delusion the men and women entering into the military are able to "train their brains" to become mentally tough. Everything they have based their programs on leans on this approach. The problem is, they are telling men and women already tough enough to enter into the military they are weak. This leaves them feeling as if it is their fault if they end up with PTSD, thus, mentally weak and didn't train properly.

The last thing National Guards and Reservists need is to have something taken away from them. When they come home they go back into their communities among people without a single clue about where they just left. They need more support programs, not less.

Back to what has been done and the fact it has not worked can be directly tied to repeated failures. Getting care should never depend upon who the man or woman serves under but depend on standard orders. Kicking out PTSD soldiers is not the answer since there have been many reports of them staying in after being helped to heal and they are still serving today.

When the Army released a study showing a 50% increase risk of PTSD with each redeployment they should have geared up to address it considering they have sent troops back over and over again but did nothing to prepare for the increased mental anguish this would cause. They just kept pushing the programs based on Battlemind bullshit but changed the title of the failure to sound better.

They will continue to see increased suicides as long as they keep repeating proven failures.

What works would require the DOD to understand PTSD as well as understand the men and women serving in the military. To this day I have not read a single report addressing the difference between combat PTSD and PTSD in the general population. They do not address the different levels of it and they have yet to come to terms with the fact some turn to self-medicating so they don't have to use prescription drugs that make them feel worse. Some turn to street drugs so they don't have to report they have a problem because of the stigma associated with in by too many commanders still treating them as if they are "weak" minded. It is almost as if some have given up on PTSD veterans instead of discovering how much better they are when they have been treated properly after being battle tested and healed.

If they really want to treat the troops they have to understand them and the simple fact that PTSD is a wound to the soul. The Greeks use the word "trauma" for wound. Not cuts and blood but an emotional wounding. To address it properly it requires spiritual healing under whatever faith they already have and not the one the government wants issued to them. If they claim to be a "spiritual person" with no faith base, then treat them spiritually. If they claim to be Christian but "churchless" then treat them the way Christ did and take care of them as humans. Drop the push to get behinds in the pews of one faith over another. If they are Jewish, treat them under their own faith and the same goes for Muslims.

Use of common sense and actually listening to them would be a great place to start as well. How about having people treating these men and women are required to have been in combat themselves? How about making sure they have a full understanding of what combat does? How about making sure they did not gain their knowledge from reading a textbook?

I was talking to a Marine yesterday after he served two tours and had some horror stories to tell. He went to get help from the Marines but was given a zero disability while being medically discharged. He's getting 50% from the VA but the VA doctor wanted to know what was bothering him. He wanted to know where to begin since he had one trauma after another. The VA doctor was oblivious without a clue what combat does or was unable to communicate any understanding leaving this Marine to feel he was wasting his time.

If they really want to save their lives after the enemy couldn't take them, then they need to get serious about looking at the "weapons" they have been using. Otherwise they are still using swords against RPGs.

The VA isn't much better at it.

Keys to preventing suicide: End the stigma, get better data
By BILL MURPHY JR. AND DEREK TURNER
Published: November 1, 2011

Stigma and a lack of good data are making it harder for the United States to combat the scourge of suicides among military members and veterans, according to a report released this week by the Center for a New American Security.

“I have no idea how many [veterans] die by suicide each day,” Jan Kemp, national mental health program director for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, said at a forum introducing the report. “You’ve seen [the statistic], 18 a day. Honestly I don’t know how correct we are. It’s our best guess right now.”

Trying to reduce the number of suicides in the Army has been “the most difficult challenge in my 40 years in the military,” said Gen. Peter Chiarelli, the vice chief of staff of the Army, who also spoke at the forum. “The circumstances surrounding each suicide are as unique as the individuals themselves. That’s what makes this so incredibly tough.”

Chiarelli said the active-duty Army lost 156 soldiers to suicide in 2010, down from 162 in 2009. But he said the hardest part is identifying which 250 or so soldiers might be at serious risk of suicide ahead of time, in part because brain science is still immature.

“The number one systemic recommendation I would make is the study of the brain,” Chiarelli said, noting that fully half of active-duty soldiers who commit suicide are undergoing some kind of mental health treatment.
read more here

Study the brains? Is Chiarelli kidding? How many studies have they done since Vietnam Veterans came back and pushed for this to finally be done? How many more generations does it take for the VA to understand what makes humans human?

Kemp is correct and they don't really know how many suicides there are since there are so many claims unapproved. Without an approved claim by the VA, they are not counted. The other factor is families tend to not tie military service to suicides if too much time has gone by. They do not understand the impact on the whole life of a combat veteran, so they don't report it and even if they wanted to, without an approved VA claim, no one would care.

How much should we care? If showing up for a Veterans Day parade is too much for us to do for them, then the odds of us showing up to make sure there are less next Memorial Day are just about zilch.

Reporters need to do more on military suicides

Reporters need to do more on military suicides
by Kathie Costos
Wounded Times Blog
May 7, 2013

Yesterday James Dao's article on the New York Times, came out after waiting months for it. Why was I waiting? Because people in the article are people I know. While Dao did a good job telling their stories in Baffling Rise in Suicides Plagues the U.S. Military there was a lot more information that should have been included beginning with the simple fact of where he got the stories from. Not the first time that happened but I am determined to let that be the last time it happened to Wounded Times.

I was reading another report on the New York Times this morning and thought it was wonderful how Andrew Lehren was writing about National Guards and Reservists committing suicide but being overlooked. Then I made the face. The face that I used to get from my Mom whenever I did something wrong (which was often) and she was very disappointed in me.

I am disappointed right now because I saw hopes getting these numbers right evaporate.

Lehren wrote that according to James Griffith "Guard and Reserve totals are undercounted." But the fact is the DOD puts out a suicide report every month for the Army in the first paragraph and in the second paragraph are the Army National Guards and Army Reserves. Much like what happened in February for the total of 2012 suicides.

Army Releases December 2012 and Calendar Year 2012 Suicide Information

During December, among reserve component soldiers who were not on active duty, there were 15 potential suicides (10 Army National Guard and five Army Reserve): 4 have been confirmed as suicides and 11 remain under investigation. For November, among that same group, the Army reported 15 potential suicides (12 Army National Guard and 3 Army Reserve): 10 have been confirmed as suicides and 5 remain under investigation.

For 2012, there have been 143 potential not on active-duty suicides (96 Army National Guard and 47 Army Reserve): 117 have been confirmed as suicides and 26 remain under investigation.

Not on active-duty suicide numbers for 2011: 118 (82 Army National Guard and 36 Army Reserve) confirmed as suicides and no cases under investigation.

Is Griffith trying to say that those numbers are "undercounted" or is he saying reporters do not count them? After all the uproar over the number of military suicides stating there were 350 did not include what the DOD even released as the Army National Guard and Army Reservists. This does not even include the other Reservists from other branches, but again, reporters do not seem too interested in them either.

Here is part of the article.

Why National Guard and Reservist Suicide Numbers May Be Misleading
New York Times
By ANDREW W. LEHREN
May 16, 2013

More than 80 percent of the services members who committed suicide in recent years had never been in combat. This is one of the many statistics that the Pentagon and researchers are currently struggling to explain. My colleague James Dao and I explore the tragic rising military suicide numbers in an article today.

The numbers above are striking. Over the course of nearly 12 years and two wars, suicide among active-duty troops has risen steadily, hitting a record of 350 in 2012.

One aspect of suicide statistics that is often overlooked – in large part because it’s so hard to quantify – is the number of National Guard and Reserve members of the various branches of the armed service who commit suicide when they are not on active duty.

Army Guard members and reservists appear to have higher suicide rates than active-duty soldiers, according to research and published Pentagon reports. These numbers, which are already escalating well above comparable civilian levels, may also be undercounting the problem by not counting all the National Guard members and reservists who are not on active duty, some experts say. That is because those deaths are often handled by local coroners who may not document that they involve members of the military.
read more here

The DOD has yet to release the Suicide Event Report for 2012. This report usually comes out in April. It breaks down every branch of the military and also includes attempted suicide data. (Another topic that reporters have failed to cover.) What is frightening to most of the people tracking these reports is what Jacqueline Garrick, acting director of the Defense Suicide Prevention Office, told Congress about the number of suicides and the data being entered for 2012 that "expect an increase in the suicide rate for 2012 upon the completion of investigations and final determinations of manner of death."

Congress has held over 30 votes on ending Obamacare, even though the American people need it. If it isn't perfect, then Congress needs to fix it. Congress has held hearing after hearing on Benghazi, even though not much new information has come out. Most of what is going on in Washington is politically based but this one issue, this one issue that should never be political but is in fact patriotic, has not led to any accountability from anyone.

There is something else that is underreported and that is the simple fact that 57% of the suicides tied to military service came after they sought help. That information came from Senator Joe Donnely when he was talking about how 43% did not seek help. All this ends up screaming for accountability that is not happening. No one is asking the right questions other than Wounded Times.

Why? Because all of these reports are tracked daily across the country. I hear from the families when it is too late and friends wonder what they missed. The people responsible for all of this have gotten away with giving false information, pointing fingers away from them and misleading the American people while claiming they are doing everything possible to address it.

When I was researching THE WARRIOR SAW, SUICIDES AFTER WAR, even I was shocked by what was left out of all the news reports. The billions of dollars spent on "prevention" programs that have proven to be a waste of time and money. How do we end up with more suicides now than when they were doing nothing to "prevent" them? How do we end up with veterans furious over the fact that what I tell them is the first time they heard it and they suffered needlessly all this time?

I am not a reporter but I managed to find all this information. Why haven't reporters done the same?

No one will be held accountable for any of this until reporters actually tell the whole truth and not simply repeat what they are told.

Was Comprehensive Soldier Fitness Designed to Fail?

UPDATE Keep in mind that I have no inside information but managed to report the same findings.  Not just yesterday but last year when I wrote my book and since 2009 when I warned about this program would in fact increase military suicides. I have only been proven right because I paid attention!

Report: Military efforts to prevent mental illness ineffective
FROM USA TODAY
Gregg Zoroya
February 20, 2014

There's little evidence that the military's efforts to prevent mental illness among troops are effective, a panel of scientists has concluded.

The military has produced dozens of programs aimed at preventing mental illness among troops during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, but there's little evidence that most of them work, a blue-ribbon panel of scientists said in a report released Thursday.

The findings by a committee of 13 experts appointed by the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies come as about 1,000 Iraq- and Afghanistan-era veterans are being diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder each week, according to data from the Department of Veterans Affairs.

"There's no substantive indication of effectiveness (in the military prevention programs) and most importantly, there's no evidence of an enduring impact," said panelist David Rudd, provost at the University of Memphis and an authority on suicide in the military.
read more here

Was Comprehensive Soldier Fitness Designed to Fail?
Wounded Times
Kathie Costos
February 19, 2014

Veterans and their families have been paying attention and wondering if the military efforts to address wide ranging issues was designed to fail on purpose or not. No one can blame them considering what the result have been while every branch of the military has been pushing the same spiel for years no matter what happened afterwards. The thoughts turned from hope that the military finally understood what the men and women were going thru into thoughts of being pushed into suffering and suicide.

This was the "news" on Valentines Day

Pentagon data provided to Military Times show 296 suicides among active-duty troops and reserve or National Guard members on active duty in 2013, down 15.7 percent from the 2012 total of 351.

It followed the worst year for suicides on record. It also followed what amounted to thousands of servicemen and women dishonorably discharged. According to the AP report, Misconduct Forces More Soldiers Out put together with the report on the number of suicides, it is obvious what the military is doing is not working.

Army 2012 351 2013 296=55 less suicides. 11,000 discharged for "misconduct" in 2013
Navy 2012 59 2013 46=7 less suicides. 3,700 discharged for "misconduct" in 2013
Air Force 2012 59 2013 55=4 less suicides. 2,900 discharged for "misconduct" in 2013
Marines 48-45=3 less suicides. 3,000 discharged for "misconduct" in 2013

Yes, that is a Power Point slide show but it should be called, "powerless point" since no one learned much from it. They actually make fun of it. Take a look at this group among the empty chairs. They are bored.

The military can claim these were all behavioral problems but what they cannot do it prove it. Considering the military does do psychological testing and checks backgrounds, they have also claimed to be addressing problems from substance and sexual abuses, yet they still continue.

Since early 2006 the Substance Abuse Rehabilitation Program (SARP) has been integrated into the Behavioral Services Department. In the case of sexual abuse they have been "addressing" that for many years including this report from what happened in 2009

Department of Defense Fiscal Year 2009 Annual Report on Sexual Assaults in the Military

"In 2005, the Department enacted the Sexual Assault Prevention and Response (SAPR) Program to encourage increased reporting of the crime, facilitate improved access to victim care, better organize response resources, and promote prevention. The Department‘s vision is to enable military readiness by establishing a culture free of sexual assault. The Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office (SAPRO) within the Office of the Secretary of Defense is responsible for the policy that supports this program and oversight activities that ensure its effectiveness. The Department of Defense (DoD) policy requires each Military Service to maintain its own SAPR program, investigate Unrestricted Reports of sexual assaults, and hold subjects appropriately accountable."

Suicides, PTSD, misconduct and everything else going wrong can be summed up in one terrible approach that began in 2008.

Comprehensive Soldier and Family Fitness (CSF2) is designed to build resilience and enhance performance of the Army Family — Soldiers, their Families, and Army Civilians. CSF2 does this by providing hands-on training and self-development tools so that members of the Army Family are better able to cope with adversity, perform better in stressful situations, and thrive in life.

CSF2 has Training Centers located across the United States. These Training Centers provide Resilience and Performance Enhancement Training where it is needed most – at Army installations (unit level). CSF2 is an integral part of the Army’s Ready and Resilient Campaign ; a campaign that promotes physical and psychological fitness and encourages personal and professional growth. Resilient Soldiers, Family members and Army Civilians perform better, which results in improved unit readiness and better lives.

Nice slogan but not worth more than the lives lost while they continued to push it.

FIVE DIMENSIONS OF STRENGTH but the outcome has been proven to be a failure. It isn't as if no one warned about any of this.

Dr. Bessel van der Kolk, a professor of psychiatry at Boston University

“This report reads more like propaganda than a serious scientific study,” he said in an email after reviewing the Army study results. “The big question, though, has not yet been addressed: Does this intervention make combat soldiers more resilient and prevent PTSD and somatization [a condition in which a person has many physical symptoms but no physical cause that can be detected]?

Anything else we try to do will fail until we can undo the damage done by this.

When we see the outcome spread past the military life and into the lives of our veterans, the whole nation should have screamed instead of just yawning. How could the military push something that experts have been complaining about for years? How could they just ignore the results?

If you want to know how much we knew and how much was spent to produce these deplorable results, read THE WARRIOR SAW, SUICIDES AFTER WAR Everything in this book was complied from news reports along with military documents. Nothing in it was hidden but most of it was forgotten.

Military suicides, congress and clueless

For two members of congress military suicides are a personal issue. Maybe now there will be something done to stop them from happening. But while there have been many congressional hearings, there hasn't been much listening going on. After reading this, there hasn't been much learning either.

(Army Lt. Gen. Thomas) Bostick said that the Army is trying to figure out why suicides among soldiers with multiple deployments are climbing.

"It's early. We don't know why that's happening, but we're looking at it very closely," he said.

Did he really say that? It's early? For heaven's sake! Did he just arrive in the Army? They've been talking about military suicides since 2003 when they started to come out with their "prevention programs" to prevent PTSD.
Battlemind

Mental orientation

In the definition provided by the U.S. Army Medical Command
"Battlemind is the Soldier's inner strength to face fear and adversity with courage. Key components include:
Self confidence: taking calculated risks and handling challenges.
Mental toughness: overcoming obstacles or setbacks and maintaining positive thoughts during times of adversity and challenge."[1]
The significance of Battlemind in the Medical Command's context is that "Battlemind skills helped you survive in combat, but may cause you problems if not adapted when you get home."[1]
Initial writings on the subject focused on the utility of battlemind while in service,[2] while several recent works focus on treatment and self-help.[3][4

In 2007 I wrote how Battlemind was not working when this report came out.


Department of Defense and Revenge of the Sith
THURSDAY, MARCH 15, 2007

The task force was formed through the 2006 National Defense Appropriations Act to examine the current state of military mental health practices and processes. The panel is now collecting information through visits to multiple military installations, document reviews, specialists’ opinions and town hall-style meetings. The panel is scheduled to provide its report to Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates in May. Reservists are assessed for mental health issues during both pre- and post-deployment phases, Army Maj. Clemens Presogna, a nurse and reservist assigned to U.S. Army Reserve Command, Fort McPherson, Ga., told members of the task force....................


..............“We really need to train and reinforce actions that soldiers, leaders and buddies can take,” Thomas said. The Battlemind system, he added, requires “emphasis on looking out for your buddy, and for small-unit leaders to look out for their soldiers.” Another troop mental health assistance initiative is the Combat and Operational Stress Control Program implemented in October 2006 by the Marine Corp Reserve’s 4th Marine Aircraft Wing, said Dr. Tania Glenn, a military contractor who co-manages the program.

“This is a Marine-to-Marine advocacy and education program,” Glenn explained. “We are teaching Marines how to identify and help other Marines.” The COSC program utilizes peer-to-peer discussion and monitoring, she said, to assist in recognizing the signs and symptoms of mental stress and burnout among Marines returning from combat overseas. Actively discussing mental health issues represents “a culture shift in the Marine Corps,” but not a massive change, said Glenn, noting the COSC program could be likened to adding high-potency vitamins to a servicemember’s normal field rations. Returning Marines experiencing heightened emotions caused by “mindset conditioning” during combat tours are provided counseling and assistance while transiting to stateside assignments, Glenn said.

Considering they were talking about "vitamins" and getting them to "train their brains" to fight against PTSD, that should have sent an alarm bell off across the country. But that wasn't enough.

As for the redeployments, they knew it back in 2006.

So after all these years of hearings in Congress, all the claims made by the military to be learning from their mistakes, we see the numbers go up and yet, yet they still have to come out with something as clueless as saying "It's early. We don't know why that's happening, but we're looking at it very closely,"

For two lawmakers, military suicides hit too close to home
By Larry Shaughnessy, CNN Pentagon Unit
September 9, 2011 9:02 p.m. EDT
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
Reps. Joe Heck and Judy Chu have personal connections with military suicides
They both spoke during an Armed Services Committee hearing on Friday
A soldier under Heck's command recently committed suicide
Chu's nephew, a Marine, killed himself after an alleged hazing incident

Washington (CNN) -- For years, the Pentagon and Congress have worried over the problem of military suicides. The House Armed Services Committee held another hearing on this life-and-death issue Friday, but this time, it was more than studies and statistics.

For two members of Congress, suicide is an issue they know intimately.

"This is -- especially right now -- a bit of a personal issue for me," said Rep. Joe Heck, R-Nevada, a colonel in the U.S. Army Reserves. "I just had a soldier recently under my command commit suicide.

"He was actually seen two hours earlier by another member of his unit. And both had been through the Army Reserve Suicide Prevention Training Program. And his colleague did not recognize anything that was out of the ordinary. And two hours later this other soldier took his own life."

Rep. Judy Chu, D-California, is not a member of the committee, but she was allowed to participate in the hearing because of her personal interest in the issue.

She told the story of 21-year-old Lance Cpl. Harry Lew, who got in trouble when he first arrived in Afghanistan for falling asleep while on watch. Chu said his sergeant told Lew's fellow Marines to "teach" him.

"Lance Corporal Lew was beaten, berated and forced to perform rigorous exercise. He was forced to do push-ups and leg lifts wearing full body armor, and sand was poured in his mouth. He was forced to dig a hole for hours. He was kicked, punched and stomped on. And it did not stop until 3:20 am," Chu told the committee.

Chu said that a few minutes later, "Lance Corporal Lew climbed into the foxhole that he just dug and shot himself and committed suicide.

"Lance Corporal Lew was my nephew."
read more here

Last year I asked Congressman Filner why they were holding hearings just about the problems and never seemed to hold any on what was working. He said he people like me should be heard but that was the last of that conversation. I should have asked him when they were planing on holding hearings on who was responsible for this callousness. After all, insisting on repeating the same failed approach shows they have not cared enough to learn anything.

Reading that "Lieutenant General Thomas P. Bostick Deputy Chief of Staff G-1, United States Army" with "EDUCATIONAL DEGREES: United States Military Academy – BS – No Major Stanford University – MS – Civil Engineering Stanford University – MS – Mechanical Engineering" we should be wondering why he was answering questions on this matter. There are several Generals that already came out and admitted they have PTSD, sought help and were still able to keep their careers. Why not have them testify?

The reports go all the way back to the 70's on PTSD but the same questions are being asked all over again. The same research is being done all over again. The same results followed. Yet somehow they wonder why Soldiers with PTSD were at increased risk for suicide

Services still grappling with suicide trends
By Patricia Kime - Staff writer
Posted : Friday Sep 9, 2011 17:36:03 EDT
Suicide prevention programs appear to have contributed to the dip in self-inflicted deaths among active-duty soldiers, sailors and Marines in 2010, but the services must continue addressing the problem in the face of some disturbing trends seen so far this year, military leaders told lawmakers Friday.

Efforts such as the Marine Corps’ Operational Stress Control and Readiness program, the Army’s resiliency counseling and efforts to reduce the stigma of mental health counseling, as well as the Air Force’s at-risk identification program, are reaching troops, military leaders told the House Armed Services Committee’s military personnel panel.

But there is more to do as the wars wind down and the Defense Department faces possible budget cuts, officials and lawmakers agreed.

“Talking about success in suicides, unless you get no suicides, is not appropriate,” said Lt. Gen. Thomas Bostick, the Army’s deputy chief of staff for personnel.

“Suicides are a loss that we simply cannot accept,” agreed Marine Lt. Gen. Robert Milstead Jr., deputy commandant for manpower and reserve affairs. “Leaders at all levels of the Marine Corps are personally involved in efforts to help address and prevent future tragedies.”

Rear Adm. Anthony Kurta, DoD’s director of military personnel plans and policy, said the Navy is “regrettably” seeing an increase in its suicide rate this year compared to 2010.

He added that historically, the Navy has seen a spike in the year following a drawdown — something that has happened three times in the past 20 years.

The Army, which saw a decline in active-duty suicides in 2010 but an uptick in rates among National Guard and Reserve troops, must continue developing its programs, Bostick said.
read more of this here

Military Reporters just repeating DOD claims on suicide prevention

Military Reporters just repeating DOD claims on suicide prevention
by Kathie Costos
Wounded Times Blog
March 26, 2013

It took Army Times a few days to pick up on Military suicides up despite 900 Suicide Prevention Programs but glad they did since they get more hits than I do. More people finding out about this may actually get the DOD to stop doing it instead of pushing it. I read Army Times a couple of times a day when I can because tracking these reports from news sites is a mission I have been on since I started this blog in 2007. There have been only a few times I can remember where I felt the report was wrong. This is one of them.

DoD reviews 900 suicide-prevention initiatives Army Times
By Patricia Kime
Staff writer
Posted : Monday Mar 25, 2013

The Defense Department is reviewing more than 900 suicide prevention initiatives at the DoD and service levels to determine which ones support the overall strategy of reducing suicides and which can go in the dustbin.

The review by DoD’s Suicide Prevention Office, which follows a record year for suicides in the ranks — 349 in 2012 — began last fall, and a preliminary report should be out by October, Jacqueline Garrick, acting director of the DoD office, told members of the House Armed Services Committee on March 21.

“We’re working very closely with the services. They are providing us data and input on their programs and what they look like so we can flesh out … what strategic objectives they serve and the costs,” she said.

The Army, Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force have tailored their own programs to reverse the decadelong trend of rising military suicide rates.

In 2001, the rate was 10.3 suicides per 100,000 troops; by 2009, that had risen to 18.3. Garrick said the rate remained fairly level in 2010 and 2011 but is expected to increase in 2012 once all the data is reviewed.

To fight the problem, the services have focused on resilience training, equipping soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines with strategies to cope with stress.
read more here

In the same hearing it was said that the number of suicides reported for 2012 will likely increase as they research "cause of death" but even with that, the number of 349 is wrong. It is at least 492 when you add all the reported branches however even those numbers are not complete. I've seen nothing on Air National Guard and Marine Reservists. Researching all of this has only confirmed my fear that CSF-resilience based programs do more harm than good. RAND looked at these programs and among the findings was that this approach does not fit with military culture and there is no evidence anyone can train or be taught to be resilient.

Again here are the reported numbers including 48 Marines, 59 Air Force, 60 Navy as reported On "Chiarelli:Suicide a nation wide problem by Patricia Kime on January 16, 2013 for Marine Corps Times. How could she forget about them? The total of Army Suicides was not released until February 1, 2013 and that release was only for Army, Army National Guards and Army Reservists. "In 2012, the Army had 182 active-duty suicides, the Marine Corps, 48; the Air Force, 59 and the Navy, 60, according to the services." Those numbers equal 492, not 349.

The 349 came from 2012 military suicides hit record high of 349, Robert Burns of Associated Press on January 14, 2013 before the DOD released their report in February. "The Army, by far the largest of the military services, had the highest number of suicides among active-duty troops last year at 182, but the Marine Corps, whose suicide numbers had declined for two years, had the largest percentage increase — a 50 percent jump to 48. The Marines' worst year was 2009's 52 suicides.

The Air Force recorded 59 suicides, up 16 percent from the previous year, and the Navy had 60, up 15 percent."

All of the numbers are tentative, pending the completion later this year of formal pathology reports on each case.

USA reported the numbers in November of 2012.

Gregg Zoroya's report on USA Today in November of 2012 Army Navy suicides at record high.

Of that total, the Army accounted for 168, surpassing its high last year of 165

53 sailors took their own lives, one more than last year.

The Air Force and Marine Corps are only a few deaths from record numbers. Fifty-six airmen had committed suicide as of Nov. 11, short of the 60 in 2010.

There have been 46 suicides among Marines, whose worst year was 2009 with 52.

That was not the worst reporting done on this hearing. The was another one that was nothing more than a selling job on Comprehensive Soldier Fitness.

It came from Military Suicide Research Consortium.

'Invisible wounds' taking toll, Congress told By David Vergun Source: United States Army Published: Thursday 21 March, 2013.

This sounds like it is working,

"Results from the Sample Survey of Military Personnel from 1999 to fall 2012 revealed that the percentage of officers and enlisted Soldiers who felt seeking behavioral health care would harm their career dropped significantly, from 81 to 54 percent for officers and from 69 to 52 for enlisted, he said."

but, after all these years there are still over half not believing they can seek help? Are we really expected to believe that? They came out with Battlemind so long ago that I was complaining about it in 2008. The other factor is if there were that many more thinking getting help was OK, then why was 2012 the deadliest on record? Do you see what is in the carefully chosen words released?

Start with the number of servicemen and women seeking help. 43% of those who committed suicide did not seek help. The problem is, that means 57% were "helped" but committed suicide afterwards. That news came from Senator Joe Donnelly.

Those numbers prove it is not working but then again all you have to do is listen to the families after they had to bury their family member lost to suicide connected to military service.

"The Army has additionally increased access to behavioral health care services, he added, pointing out that this has contributed to an overall increase in the number of behavioral health encounters from 991,655 in fiscal year 2007 to 1,961,850 in fiscal year 2012, a 97.8-percent increase."

WOW that sounds like they really have their act together. Sounds like it but again, look at the numbers. Now look back at the number of suicides for last year and then factor in at least 22 veterans committing suicide a day, then remember those veterans are part of the "civilian" suicides they point to.

I want to read a report that actually says they figured out what they got wrong but since all of this started so long ago and they haven't figured it out yet, with all the hundreds of millions of dollars spent, thousands of suicides that we were told should not happen, it is unlikely they will get it right now unless they stop all of these programs that do not work!