Salon has been running a series of articles about what it calls “preventable deaths” among U.S. soldiers returning from combat. The introductory article in the “Coming Home” series lays out some of the recent grim news involving veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars:
Late last month the Army released data showing the highest suicide rate among soldiers in three decades. At least 128 soldiers committed suicide in 2008. Another 15 deaths are still under investigation as potential suicides. “Why do the numbers keep going up?” Army Secretary Pete Geren said at a Jan. 29 Pentagon news conference. “We can’t tell you.”
Salon claims that not only have traumatized and troubled soldiers not received the help they need, but that at times their families have been treated “callously” by the Army. For the introduction to the “Coming Home” series, click here.
Hat Tip: D