An startling study on the true costs of wearing a uniform reveals that military veterans are committing suicide at a rate greater than twice the official rate, primarily due to unreported drug overdose suicides.
America’s Warrior Partnership (AWP), a non-profit organization, discovered the true veteran suicide rate was “far greater” than that provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).
And these figures increase further when drug overdose deaths are included.
Suicide rates in the military are frighteningly high and on the rise, which is commonly linked to the trauma and stress of serving in post-9/11 anti-terror conflicts, head injuries, continuous access to firearms, and the difficulties of reintegrating into civilian life.
Veterans are increasingly complaining about inadequate support from the service, and the Army is facing its biggest recruitment crisis in decades, as well as a shortage of up to 15,000 personnel this year.
Jim Lorraine, the president of AWP, stated that the non-profit organization’s interim report was a wake-up call on ‘inaccurate statistics’ on veteran deaths and called for accelerated ‘effort toward preventing former service member suicide’
America’s Warrior Partnership (AWP), a non-profit organization, asserts that the Department of Veterans Affairs underreports the true veteran suicide rate (VA)
A veteran of the armed forces interacting with a psychiatrist. High suicide rates are frequently attributed to the trauma and stress of post-9/11 anti-terror wars, brain injuries, and the difficulties of reintegrating into civilian life.
Christopher Saxon, a soldier of Afghanistan, removes graffiti from the Indianapolis war memorial. His struggle with PTSD exemplifies the experience of numerous American veterans of post-9/11 wars.
The study, conducted in collaboration with the University of Alabama and Duke University, examined census death data from 2014 to 2018 in eight states: Alabama, Florida, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, and Oregon.
Researchers discovered thousands of suspected or confirmed suicides that were not recorded in official statistics.
According to the VA, around 17 veterans aged 18 to 64 commit suicide daily in these eight states. According to AWP’s Operation Deep Dive research, there were actually 24, or 1.4 times the reported rate.
The committee then included the 20 veterans who die everyday from self-inflicted injuries, 80 percent of whom die from drug overdoses. The daily total of 44 veteran deaths is 2.4 times the VA’s suicide rate.
Frequently, overdoses are categorized as accidents or acts of uncertain intent. Nonetheless, according to studies, there are indicators that many veterans who die from opioid overdoses were in fact attempting suicide.
The four-page analysis concluded that Coast Guards were the military with the highest risk, followed by Marines, Army, Navy, and Air Force. Those who were demoted during their military service were 56% more likely to commit suicide.
Veterans who served for more than three years fared better than those who served for less than three years. In addition, researchers discovered that living with a spouse reduced the chance of suicide by 40 percent.
Randal Noller, spokesman for the Department of Veterans Affairs, stated that his department’s suicide statistic was correct. He stated that it was “compatible with confirmed evidence… It satisfies the quality and requirements of a publication that has been peer-reviewed’.
VA will continue to accurately measure veteran suicide in order to eliminate veteran suicide. Noller explained to DailyMail.com.
The VA operates an emergency counseling hotline at 877-424-3838; option 1 must be selected. For assistance, veterans, service members, and their families can also text 838255 or visit VeteransCrisisLine.net.
Bill Bee, a Marine veteran and recipient of the Purple Heart, has struggled with head injuries, memory loss, and severe flashbacks since serving in Afghanistan, and he wants to bring attention to the situation of many former service members.
Bill Bee sustained three traumatic brain injuries during his 13 years of service in the Marine Corps. Since serving in Afghanistan, he has struggled with head injuries, memory loss, and traumatic flashbacks, and he wants to bring attention to the suffering of many former servicemen.
Bee describes in detail his path from a trailer park in Ohio to being one of the first Americans in Afghanistan following 9/11 in his new biography The Shot.
In his memoir The Shot, he describes the moment he considered suicide and argues that it should be far simpler for veterans to receive the respect and care they deserve after risking their lives in distant warzones.
“Far too frequently, folks in crisis are left to fend for themselves,” Bee wrote for DailyMail.com. “This often forces them into homelessness, a life of crime, or suicide.”
After risking their lives thousands of miles abroad, they should be able to obtain a doctor’s visit without having to wait weeks and should be treated with respect.
The attention on veteran suicide rates comes at a difficult moment for the military, which is failing to attract new recruits, faces a shortfall of up to 15,000 soldiers this year, and will face much greater issues in the future.
In July, the Military Family Advisory Network (MFAN) reported that between 2019 and 2021, the percentage of military personnel who would advise others to enlist decreased by about 12 percentage points, to 62.9%.
Three quarters of those surveyed were in debt, more than half were unable to save, 61 percent had difficulty paying rent, and 17 percent were so cash-strapped that they could not always afford to eat.
This week, former Defense Secretary Mark Esper issued a warning about the U.S. military’s terrible recruitment figures, stating that only a small percentage of Americans are fit to serve since so many are overweight, on drugs, or have criminal records.
Army leaders have cited “exceptional hurdles” in attracting recruits, resulting in a shortage of up to 15,000 soldiers this year and larger concerns in the future. Army recruiters pictured during a career expo in Michigan