4 questions about veteran suicides

I recently came across reports of an increasing number of suicides among U.S. active-duty military personnel and veterans. I have my suspicions that the suicides are more common in some services and roles than in others, but without that data I have four questions.

1.A young sailor on the aircraft carrier USS Stennis was interviewed on This American Life in the first months of the War on Terror. I haven't re-listened to the episode, but as I recall her job was to refill vending machines throughout the ship (or maybe just part of it).

Assuming she left the Navy after one enlistment and never was in harm's way, would she and people like her have been more susceptible to suicide than the general population? 

2. Speaking of the early days of the War on Terror: at the time, invading Afghanistan seemed just to most Americans. Special forces and other troops who fought Al Qaeda and overthrew the Taliban would have felt the support from home, had clarity of mission, and moral purpose. Over the years, however, the support waned, the mission kept changing, and moral confusion increased. It's one thing to daily put one's life on the line for a cause you think is just, but may be traumatic if you don't know what you're fighting for.

What are suicide rates of combat vets who served in late 2001, compared to, say, Iraq in 2005, or Afghanistan in 2009?

3. The American way of war these days involves a lot of bombing missions and drone strikes. Homes are destroyed and civilians slaughtered for reasons that don't seem to have anything to do with "defending our freedom."

I can imagine there may be feelings of guilt among those ordered to carry out such strikes, but do the suicide rates reflect that?

4. This decade brought increased awareness of head injury issues among NFL players.  Dave Duerson committed suicide with a gunshot in the chest so that his brain could be examined. The results indicated that repeated head trauma, whether or not diagnosed as concussions, can suddenly affect behavior and personality years or decades after playing. This isn't a PTSD or other mental health issue, it's a brain damage issue.

Humvee troop carriers in Afghanistan and Iraq were susceptible to roadside bombs. Troops inside that weren't killed or wounded would inevitably have banged their heads as the explosion rocked the vehicle. Many soldiers went through this ordeal numerous times. Of course, combat could also lead to blows to the head.

What is the suicide rate of troops who experienced roadside bombs, and is the military and VA addressing the possible distinction between war-caused mental illness and war-caused brain damage?

I suspect the suicide rates have to do with the unnecessary and unjust wars, but I doubt the Pentagon and VA will admit it.


James Leroy Wilson writes from Nebraska. Follow him on Facebook and Twitter. If you find value in his articles, your support through Paypal helps keep him going. Permission to reprint is granted with attribution.