Posted on 10/16/2003 3:46:38 PM PDT by Lorianne
WASHINGTON — At least 13 US troops have committed suicide in Iraq, representing more than 10 per cent of American non-combat deaths there, and the army dispatched a suicide-prevention expert to assess the problem, officials said yesterday.
On the other hand, a survey of US troops in Iraq by the military newspaper Stars and Stripes has found that nearly three-quarters of those questioned said unit morale was low or average, and that nearly half did not plan to re-enlist.
At least 11 US Army soldiers have committed suicide during Iraq operations, most with self-inflicted gunshot wounds, and two marines have committed suicide using firearms, officials said.
One official said “a few more” army deaths were being investigated as possible suicides, and the navy said the death of one service member was under investigation. The air force said it had no such cases.
Army officials have expressed concern about the suicides, many of which occurred after President George W. Bush declared major combat operations over in Iraq on May 1. A 12-person Mental Health Advisory Team dispatched by the army recently left Iraq after studying a wide range of mental health concerns, including suicide, among US troops facing combat stress and longer-than-expected deployments.
The 130,000 US troops in Iraq are facing year-long stints amid daily guerrilla-style attacks. Lt-Colonol Jerry Swanner, the Army’s suicide-prevention programme manager at the Pentagon, was a member of the team, said Martha Rudd, an army spokeswoman.
“Of course, we’re concerned,” Rudd said.
“Even one suicide is alarming and upsetting.”
The suicide deaths are included among the 120 US troops who have died in “non-hostile” circumstances in Iraq in the past seven months, mostly vehicle and other types of accidents. Another 212 US troops have died from enemy fire, according to the Pentagon.
“When war is actually going on, behavioural experts say the soldiers aren’t as likely to commit suicide during that period. While they’re fighting, they’re not thinking about their problems. But once open hostilities cease and the peacekeeping part begins, for some soldiers that can be very rewarding work but for some (others) it can be very stressful,” Rudd said.
She also noted that troops in Iraq have guns readily available, enabling them to act on what otherwise might have been a fleeting suicidal impulse.
The team sent to Iraq included psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers and experts in combat stress, said Lyn Kukral, a spokeswoman for the Office of the Army Surgeon General and the Army Medical Command.
The team was expected to complete a report on its findings and make recommendations in two to three weeks, officials said.
“Suicide is just one aspect of many behavioural health and individual readiness issues that the team is assessing. The team is interested in identifying particular deployment stressors and their impact on the deployed soldiers.
The team is also concerned with reviewing the effectiveness of current combat-stress control doctrine,” Kukral said in a statement.
Kukral said 478 soldiers had been evacuated from Iraq for mental health reasons as of Sept. 25.
The Army and Navy annually average about 11 suicides per 100,000 personnel, the Air Force about 9.5 per 100,000 and the Marines about 12.6 per 100,000.
Referring to the Army rate, Rudd said, “I don’t think the suicides we’ve had in Iraq are going to seriously skew the numbers.”
Meanwhile, a survey of US troops in Iraq by the military newspaper Stars and Stripes has found that nearly three-quarters of those questioned said unit morale was low or average, and that nearly half did not plan to re-enlist.
Reacting to the survey, US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said the military has not yet seen any impact on military recruitment and retention, which he said remained good overall.
“On the other hand, the effect of stress on the force are unlikely to be felt immediately. They are much more likely to be felt down the road. So we have to be attentive to that and we are,” he said at a Pentagon news conference.
General Richard Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the survey provided “useful insights” for military leaders who might otherwise be shielded from discontent in the ranks.
Myers said that as a high ranking general, he worries that “someone is always bringing us the happy folks.”
“I don’t think we could ignore how tough conditions are in Iraq,” he said, noting the dangers and austere living conditions.
The survey, part of a seven-part series on troop morale and re-enlistment problems in Iraq, was taken among soldiers who were available to answer questions and so was not a random sampling of troops.
“The results can’t be projected onto the entire military population in Iraq, but the returns were impressive,” the newspaper said.
Among the findings:
· Some 34 per cent of those surveyed said morale was low or very low, 27 per cent said it was high or very high, and the rest said it was average. Morale levels however varied considerably — reservists ranked morale as lowest, while Air Force and Marine units largely considered their morale high.
Many Reserve and National Guard respondents said they often felt like second-class soldiers who received lesser quality equipment, support and treatment than their full-time comrades.
· Air Force bases and food services were markedly better than those for army units, and army soldiers who saw those sites said the division undercut morale and teamwork.
· Nearly half of those surveyed said they do not plan to re-enlist. Military leaders told the paper that enlistment rates historically drop after conflicts, and overall military re-enlistment appears fine, according to the Pentagon.
· More than one-third said that their mission was “not clearly” or “not at all” defined. Reservists had the most complaints in this category, the newspaper found, while Air Force and Marine respondents had the least complaints.
When asked how worthwhile the war in Iraq was for the United States, 67 per cent agreed that it was “worthwhile,” while 31 per cent said it was of little or no value.
The survey was based on a standard list of 17 questions the newspaper presented to 1,935 US soldiers in Iraq over a three-week period in August. Reporters visited 50 US military camps in northern, central and southern Iraq interviewing soldiers and collecting survey answers.
The Stars and Stripes began as a military newspaper during the US Civil War in the early 1860s. It was published again in World War I, and has been published continuously since 1942.
The Pentagon-funded newspaper is published by civilians — often former military — with some military personnel also working on staff. — AFP
Sounds like 13 is about normal, then, especially in a more stressful environment.
That means over 50% retention. Pretty good for such "adverse" conditions. I was a Navy Recruiter for my last duty.
Please note: "The Army and Navy annually average about 11 suicides per 100,000 personnel,..
What does this tell you? After 7 months, with 150,000 people in country, one would "normally" expect 8.8 suicides. Instead there are 13. You tell me what it says about the seriousness of journalistic ethics at USA Today and this Omaha rag.
These people are totally desperate for bad news to smear our boys.
The slightly more accurate USA TODAY story says "11-13" per 100,000. Which would mean that there is ABOUT 1 (one) more than the "norm."
These people hate our boys almost as much as they hate the President.
---A soldier's Dad
Oman! I got so blindly mad, I couldn't finish a five-letter word! Virtually the same story was on the front page of USA TODAY earlier this week, above the fold, right hand column.
I used to work for the Marine Corps, and one of my duties was processing death vouchers. Believe me, suicide is not that uncommon.
I had one former Marine tell me that when he was in boot camp, his DI told them that if they were going to do themselves, to go to the head to do it so the mess would be easier to clean up. Kind of callous, but you get my point.
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