Military Leaders and Suicide Deaths

1908 Words4 Pages

Sometimes in life there are moments that one can think, ‘I would never be able to do that!’ the numbers of people who may say this are the ones that take their own life. Possibly in an attempt to escape the stresses of today’s society, that linger in their mind that they cannot seem to overcome. Everyday people willingly take their lives, without regard to the difficulties they have left on their family and friends.

There have been studies on why people commit suicide, but no one has come up with a definite explanation. How these victims of suicide gather the courage to take their own life, and the impact on families left behind is a complex idea that may never be understood. There are many factors that can be a catalyst to committing suicide. Throughout our research we have discovered some of the most common variables within one’s life before they take their life: military veterans, bullying within their social and everyday life, and the effects of prescription medications psychologically.

The escalation in suicide deaths is one of the most troubling disputes facing military leaders who want to condense the rates among active-duty service members. More than 2,000 active-duty service members have killed themselves in the past decade, including 295 last year compared with 153 in 2001. American soldiers are enduring a number of suicides in extraordinary numbers compared to ever before (Wong). By late November 2009, roughly 334 members of the armed forces had committed suicide; those numbers overrun the numbers of soldiers killed in the Afghanistan and Iraq war. While a final number is not available, the count of military suicides last year was the worst since records began to be kept in 1980. At least 211 suicide victim personne...

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