Military suicide rate still high despite hard fight to stem deaths

Reporters have a choice to make. They can just keep repeating what they are told as if nothing has been done before or they can actually learn what has been causing these suicides. Then maybe, just maybe, we can save some lives instead of losing more every month.

My comment on this article should be read first, then get angry.
It would be a lot more helpful if reporters managed to tell the truth on the over 900 suicide prevention programs that do little good especially after the troops have been brainwashed into being "resilient" because they end up thinking PTSD is their fault. This program made all of this worse and then I have to undo the damage done when they call me from the ledge. What is even more heartbreaking is when I get a call from a Mom when it is too late and she is blaming herself for what no one ever told her. No one is held accountable and congress just keeps putting more and more money into what is causing most of this suffering.

One every 18 hours: Military suicide rate still high despite hard fight to stem deaths
By Bill Briggs
NBC News contributor
May 24, 2013

Amid a raft of Pentagon initiatives to slow its suicide crisis, a new Army report Thursday showed the pace of self-inflicted deaths among soldiers — and all service members — has barely budged so far this year from the record rate the military suffered during 2012.

Through April, the U.S. military has recorded 161 potential suicides in 2013 among active-duty troops, reservists and National Guard members — a pace of one suicide about every 18 hours. The Army, the largest contingent of the armed forces, sustained 109 reported suicides during the first four months, according its latest report.

Last year, when self-inflicted military deaths outstripped the number of troops killed in combat, there was one suicide every 17 hours among all active-duty, reserve and National Guard members, according to figures gathered from each branch.

"We are still continuing to fight this problem with the same intensiveness," said Cynthia O. Smith, a Pentagon spokeswoman. "We are still focused on preventing suicides from occurring in the Department of Defense. We are doing everything we can to ensure that service members are getting the proper health care they need to prevent this type of event from happening.
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April Army Suicides bring totals to 109 for 2013

Army Releases April 2013 Suicide Information
The Army released suicide data today for the month of April 2013. During April, among active-duty soldiers, there were 11 potential suicides: one has been confirmed as a suicide and 10 remain under investigation.

For March 2013, the Army reported 10 potential suicides among active-duty soldiers; 6 have been confirmed as suicides and 4 are under investigation.

For 2013, there have been 52 potential active-duty suicides: 22 have been confirmed as suicides and 30 remain under investigation.

Updated active-duty suicide numbers for 2012: 184 (159 have been confirmed as suicides and 25 remain under investigation).

During April 2013, among reserve component soldiers who were not on active duty, there were 16 potential suicides (13 Army National Guard and 3 Army Reserve): none have been confirmed as suicides and 16 remain under investigation. For March 2013, among that same group, the Army reported 12 potential suicides; however, subsequent to the report, another case was added bringing March’s total to 13 (9 Army National Guard and 4 Army Reserve): none have been confirmed as suicides and 13 cases remain under investigation.

For 2013, there have been 57 potential not on active duty suicides (36 Army National Guard and 21 Army Reserve): 21 have been confirmed as suicides and 36 remain under investigation.

Updated not on active duty suicide numbers for 2012: 140 (93 Army National Guard and 47 Army Reserve); 138 have been confirmed as suicides and two remain under investigation.

Read this book to know how it got this bad and then do something about it! THE WARRIOR SAW, SUICIDES AFTER WAR puts it all together so you know where we are, how we got here and what can be done about it. Every report in this book contains the source and they are taken from news and government reports. None of this had to happen if the American people knew what they were doing.

Congress clears another Stolen Valor bill

Congress clears bill on lying about medals
The Associated Press
Published: May 23, 2013

WASHINGTON — Lying about receiving a military medal could become a crime, under a bill headed to the president's desk.

The Stolen Valor Act cleared the Senate Wednesday and the House earlier this week. The act makes it a crime to lie about military medals, if the purpose is to benefit from the claim.
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Marine finds closure 38 years after Marines killed

38 years later, closure for a Marine
By Erik Lacitis
The Seattle Times/MCT
Published: May 18, 2013

SEATTLE — The two had known each other less than three weeks when they found themselves inside helicopters about to land off a Cambodian island, and were easy targets for a firestorm of Khmer Rouge bullets and rocket-propelled grenades.

One would be killed as his massive chopper carrying 26 servicemen, mostly U.S. Marines, exploded on May 15, 1975.

He was among 13 who lost their lives, his remains not identified until this January. The arduous task included recovering bones using suction hoses in the sand.

The one who lived was in the CH-53 helicopter right behind and saw the fireball. Thirty-eight years later, Dale Clark cannot forget.

And so this week, he wanted to make sure his comrade in arms was remembered. Pfc. Daniel E. Benedett, 19, finally was given proper honors at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Va.
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Thousands of veterans' records collected mold at Buffalo VA

Thousands of records may have been lost or damaged at VA hospitals in Buffalo, Batavia
The Buffalo News
By Jerry Zremski
News Washington Bureau Chief
May 22, 2013

WASHINGTON – Thousands of patient records at the VA hospitals in Buffalo and Batavia have likely been misplaced or damaged, according to federal officials who have been prodding the facilities to improve their record-keeping.

VA officials uncovered the problem after the associate director of the Buffalo medical center initially dismissed worker complaints about shoddy record-keeping, according to officials at the Office of Special Counsel, which presses federal agencies to address complaints brought by whistle-blowers.

Four medical records technicians in Western New York “disclosed that medical files – including cardiac records, dental records and Agent Orange registry records – were randomly thrown in boxes rather than kept in any order, that many Social Security numbers were not properly attributed to the correct veteran name, and that mold-infested files were not handled properly to prevent further contamination and to ensure their restoration,” the Office of Special Counsel said. “As a result, veterans’ medical records were often deemed unavailable.”

Word of the lost and damaged records, coming just four months after reports that the Buffalo VA hospital potentially exposed hundreds of diabetic patients to contaminated insulin pens, prompted Rep. Chris Collins, R-Clarence, to call for the resignation of Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki.
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Soldier butchered in London, Afghanistan veteran

UPDATE
Drummer Lee Rigby's murder prompted rush in donations
Slain London soldier was 'loving father' who served in Afghanistan
By Ian Johnston, Staff Writer
NBC News
May 23, 2013

Ministry of Defence
Drummer Lee Rigby was identified Thursday as the soldier killed in London in a suspected terror attack on Wednesday.

The British soldier brutally killed in London in a suspected terror attack was a drummer in a military band who had served in Afghanistan, officials said on Thursday. Lee Rigby, 25, known as “Riggers” to his friends, was killed in broad daylight on Wednesday as he walked in Woolwich, South London, near an army barracks.

It said he had been deployed on operation in Helmand province, Afghanistan, in April 2009, “where he served as a member of the Fire Support Group in Patrol Base Woqab.” Rigby had previously helped guard the U.K.’s royal palaces. “He was an integral member of the Corps of Drums throughout the Battalion’s time on public duties, the highlight of which was being a part of the Household Division’s Beating the Retreat - a real honour for a line infantry Corps of Drums,” the statement said.
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British soldier hacked to death returning to barracks in London

Half of oldest VA claims cleared with provisional decisions

VA HALVES THE NUMBER OF CLAIMS BACKLOGGED MORE THAN TWO YEARS
Nextgov
By Bob Brewin
May 22, 2013

The Veterans Affairs Department has processed 22,000 out of the 42,000 disability claims that have languished for two years or longer, Allison A. Hickey, VA’s undersecretary for benefits, told a House VA Committee hearing today.

The 51 percent reduction occurred after VA kicked off a project on April 19 to eliminate the oldest claims in the backlog within 60 days. Hickey said the department expects to meet that goal.

VA decided to speed up processing of old claims by making a provisional decision to authorize payment to veterans who would then have a year to file additional evidence to support their case. Hickey said that only 5 percent of the old claims rated over the past month had a provisional rating.

Once VA clears out the oldest claims, Hickey said the department will start to work on claims backlogged between one and two years; officials expect to clear those within six months.
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New Generation of Vets with Post Traumatic Stress

We are seeing frightening numbers coming out of Iraq and Afghanistan compared to Vietnam. The suicide and attempted suicide numbers went up too fast but that should not be a shocker to anyone paying attention since the Army study in 2006 said that redeployments increased the risk but they did it anyway.

CIA: A New Generation of Vets with Post Traumatic Stress
KION News
By Jon K. Brent
May 22, 2013

Monterey, Calif. - A new generation of Americans, bout 2.4 million, who fought in Iraq and Afghanistan are now coming home, thousands to the central coast. Estimates are showing 20 to 30 percent of those are being diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder or PTSD. This is the first in a three part Center For Investigative action series on what these young soldiers are facing as they come home and how it will impact the central coast.

Former Combat Photographer Efren Lopez shares his experience documenting war on a camera, "Watching these soldiers die in front of you as I'm documenting as they're treating them at the medical facility there..the smell is still there, you hear what they're saying and that's the part that they tell you not to talk about..because that's where the symptoms of PTSD come." Lopez saw and felt it all in Iraq and Afghanistan, but in so doing, the trauma of it all is implanted in his mind's eye as well.

Vietnam Veteran and retired County Veterans Service Officer Tom Griffin has been in psychology and counseling for 30 years, "the very definition of post traumatic stress is that you've been pushed through your personal boundaries without your permission or control."

A Pew research study of nearly 2000 vets, showed a third had a traumatic military related experience, the number swells to half for post 9/11 vets studied.
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Major General Dana Pittard leaving after 3 officers committed suicide

Major General Dana Pittard leaving after 3 officers committed suicide
by Kathie Costos
Wounded Times Blog
May 23, 2013

Darren Hunt of KCIA News reported on Monday, All three suicides at Fort Bliss this year were officers

"The Pentagon says nearly 350 U.S. Military service members committed suicide last year.

Among those were five Army soldiers at Fort Bliss.

This year, three more suicides, all with something in common -- they were non-commissioned officers.

Sunday night on ABC-7 Xtra, Fort Bliss' outgoing commanding general confirmed the latest suicide happened just last week.

Anthony Fusco last Monday at his Northeast El Paso home -- a day after buying a gun at the PX -- has Pittard talking about refocusing the program.

Maj. Gen. Pittard was leaving Ft. Bliss I made me happy. While he was patted on the back for the low suicide numbers at Fort Bliss, even to the point of a Presidential visit, the truth is much different than he wants people to remember. As Pittard struggled in the interview to talk about suicides, it was clear he still didn't "get it" right.

“I think that’s the hardest part…that the people wounded will be people that we know…as our fellow soldiers, as our friends, as people that we’ve known for years, where most American people don’t know, but we do.”

We know from great reporters that Fort Caron has been kicking out soldiers instead of treating them. How many committed suicides afterwards? Less on the books for Fort Carson. Did the same thing happen at Fort Bliss? We don't know. In the article from KCIA it mentioned this fact. "Each unit submits a monthly list of soldiers with known emotional, financial or drug problems." but didn't seem to think it was important to mention what came afterwards. Drug problems can end up with "other than honorable" discharges. So can financial problems. So how many were discharged from Fort Bliss instead of being valued and treated?

A year ago to my horror Yochi J. Dreazen National Journal reported that Major General Dana Pittard blamed soldiers for suicides.

“I have now come to the conclusion that suicide is an absolutely selfish act. “I am personally fed up with soldiers who are choosing to take their own lives so that others can clean up their mess. Be an adult, act like an adult, and deal with your real-life problems like the rest of us.”

Few can forget what he said about military suicides being "selfish" just a year ago. If it was a "selfish act" then why do so many commit suicide after they signed up to risk their lives for someone else? Why do so many refuse to allow themselves to feel the pain until their units are back home and out of danger? Why is it the first thing they want to do is help others afterwards? These men and women were not selfish but men like Pittard don't understand heroes like MOH Dakota Meyer. Thankfully his attempted suicide failed. He wrote about it in his book and how he didn't want to be a burden to his family.

In 2011 I was still complaining about the "resilience" programming/brainwashing they were doing.

Fort Bliss sending wrong message on "mental toughness" training If they had to come up with a program to help them "learn to be mentally tough" then they are telling PTSD veterans they were weak. When will they understand this is a huge part of the problem?

It is not just the Army. A couple of years ago, I held a young Marine in my arms, in public at the VA because he was crying. Why was he crying? Because he had PTSD topped off with the message he got from the Marines that he was supposed to be "tough" making him believe it was all his fault. He apologized for crying because Marines are not supposed to cry. I asked him if anyone told him he was not supposed to still be human.

These so called "programs" may have a lot of good points and intentions but the numbers show they are not working. The military has yet to understand what causes PTSD in the first place so they keep messing up on helping these soldiers recover when PTSD is mild. Telling them they can get "mentally tough" is killing them. They already were or they couldn't have endured their deployments or combat. Common sense has been forgotten about and the human factor has been removed.

The DOD pushes the "resilience" programming as if anyone with half a brain thought this was a good idea. The numbers prove how bad it is since they went up every year since they started it.

The frightening thing is, I am an average person and the people in charge are not smart enough to figure this out. That aught to scare the crap out of anyone paying attention. You can know what they won't tell you by subscribing to Wounded Times and reading THE WARRIOR SAW, SUICIDES AFTER WAR. If we are ever going to see our troops and veterans treated properly, everyone has to know how it got this bad and then hold people accountable for what they did.

British soldier hacked to death returning to barracks in London

UPDATE Cub Scout leader stood up to murderer
Brave Ingrid Loyau-Kennett tried to shield soldier's body from attackers in Woolwich, London
From: news.com.au
May 23, 2013
A 48-YEAR-OLD Cub Scout leader has described how she jumped off a bus and tried to talk down the knife-wielding London attacker.

Ingrid Loyau-Kennett confronted one of the machete attackers at the scene of the horrific murder in London and told him "it is only you versus many people - you are going to lose". Source: Twitter

Ingrid Loyau-Kennett told London's Telegraph the alleged attacker told her: "We want to start a war in London tonight."
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Woolwich Attack: Man Reportedly Beheaded In Brutal Assault In London Neighborhood
(WARNING: DISTURBING FOOTAGE)
Posted: 05/22/2013

A man was reportedly killed in an attack with a knife and a meat cleaver in London's Woolwich neighbourhood on Wednesday.

In a statement, London's Metropolitan police commander Simon Letchford said that police have shot two men who had attacked the victim in Woolwich's John Wilson Street. The Telegraph reports that local MP Nick Raynsford said that he believed the victim was a soldier returning to his barracks, while several witnesses described the attack as a "beheading."

According to Bloomberg, two men are in police custody.

The Guardian reports that British Prime Minister David Cameron called the incident "truly shocking." Cameron asked Britain's home secretary to chair a meeting of Cobra, the government's emergency committee.
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