Army's suicide rate at 26-year high
Report says about a quarter occurred during war service
By Pauline Jelinek, Associated Press August 16, 2007
WASHINGTON -- Army soldiers committed suicide last year at the highest rate in 26 years, and more than a quarter did so while serving in Iraq and Afghanistan, according to a military report.
The report, obtained by the Associated Press ahead of its scheduled release today, found there were 99 confirmed suicides among active duty soldiers in 2006, up from 88 the previous year and the highest since 102 suicides in 1991.
In a service of more than a half million soldiers, the 99 suicides amounted to a rate of 17.3 per 100,000 -- the highest in the past 26 years, the report said. The average rate over those years has been 12.3 per 100,000.
The suicide rate for those serving in the wars stayed about the same, 19.4 per 100,000 in 2006, compared with 19.9 in 2005.
"Iraq was the most common deployment location for both [suicides] and attempts," the report said.
The 99 suicides included 28 soldiers deployed to the two wars and 71 who weren't. About twice as many women serving in Iraq and Afghanistan committed suicide as did women not sent to war, the report said.
Preliminary numbers for the first half of this year indicate the number of suicides could decline across the service this year but increase among troops serving in the wars, officials said.
The increases for 2006 occurred as Army officials worked to set up new and stronger programs for providing mental health care to a force strained by the prolonged war in Iraq and global counterterrorism war, which is entering its sixth year.
Failed personal relationships, legal and financial problems, and the stress of their jobs were factors motivating the soldiers to commit suicide, according to the report. Related Story
Showing posts with label Army. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Army. Show all posts
Thursday, August 16
Thursday, May 3
Weblogs of Mass Restrictions
From CNN and USA Today
The U.S. Army is tightening restrictions on soldiers' blogs and other Web site postings to ensure sensitive information about military operations does not make it onto public forums.
Soldiers in war zones are already subject to restrictions on blogging and public posts. But the Army's new regulation could affect service members who have returned from war zones and started blogs about their combat experiences.
Under a new directive issued in April, soldiers must consult with their immediate supervisor and an officer responsible for what's known within the military as operational security, or OPSEC, for a review of planned publications.
Reviews will be needed for Web site postings, blog postings, discussions on Internet information forums and discussions on Internet message boards, according to the Army directive.
E-mail that will be published in a public forum is also subject to review under the regulation. But Army officers said personal e-mails will not be reviewed, calling that impractical.
"We're not asking that people not blog but that people be cognizant of OPSEC," said Army spokesman Paul Boyce.
The rules say solders can be charged with violating a lawful order under the Uniform Code of Military Justice.
Army Maj. Ray Ceralde said unit commanders have the authority to establish more restrictive requirements — such as requiring that individual postings be reviewed — if they deem it necessary.
As before, the regulations require that soldiers tell their family members and friends to protect sensitive information.
The blog rules were part of a larger update to regulations governing operational security.
It is unknown how many soldiers have violated blogging rules.
More from Wired
The U.S. Army is tightening restrictions on soldiers' blogs and other Web site postings to ensure sensitive information about military operations does not make it onto public forums.
Soldiers in war zones are already subject to restrictions on blogging and public posts. But the Army's new regulation could affect service members who have returned from war zones and started blogs about their combat experiences.
Under a new directive issued in April, soldiers must consult with their immediate supervisor and an officer responsible for what's known within the military as operational security, or OPSEC, for a review of planned publications.
Reviews will be needed for Web site postings, blog postings, discussions on Internet information forums and discussions on Internet message boards, according to the Army directive.
E-mail that will be published in a public forum is also subject to review under the regulation. But Army officers said personal e-mails will not be reviewed, calling that impractical.
"We're not asking that people not blog but that people be cognizant of OPSEC," said Army spokesman Paul Boyce.
The rules say solders can be charged with violating a lawful order under the Uniform Code of Military Justice.
Army Maj. Ray Ceralde said unit commanders have the authority to establish more restrictive requirements — such as requiring that individual postings be reviewed — if they deem it necessary.
As before, the regulations require that soldiers tell their family members and friends to protect sensitive information.
The blog rules were part of a larger update to regulations governing operational security.
It is unknown how many soldiers have violated blogging rules.
More from Wired
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