The death of former Army doctor Peter Linnerooth, discharged in 2008 and highly critical of the military’s mishandling of mental health problems for soldiers returning from war, has been ruled a suicide. Linnerooth was, like the people he advocated for, suffering from PTSD.
Linnerooth’s death is one of the first military suicides of 2013, and particularly noteworthy as he had blasted the military as “criminally negligent” in the soaring suicide rates of recent years.
Military suicides have been a growing problem in recent years, with several record-breaking years noted as troops struggle with repeated deployments and the stress of being engaged in endless wars. 2012 was another record year, with Pentagon figures showing 349 suicides.
The military has faced enormous criticism for its treatment of mental health problems, stigmatizing those who seek help as “at risk” and often ignoring those struggling with post-war trauma.
Many of the recent suicides have been people who never deployed to Iraqistan, so they must have had other issues. I suspect most felt trapped by the ongoing economic depression — either they wanted out of the military but saw how horrid the civilian job market is, or they were scheduled to be discharged in the upcoming drawdown and saw only a jobless, homeless future.
The causes of the high suicide rate in the military seems to be very compex. Some have served in Iraq and Afghanistan, some have not. Some have served in Europe and Korea, some have not. Some are senior officers (colonels and generals), most are low-ranking enlisted men/women. Most are men, but some are women. And the worst cause is single car/motorcycle accidents. Most of those have not been unreported as suicides. After returning home, over 50,000 Vietnam vets died in single-car accidents, most were suicides. It appears the number of suicides may be higher than the 349 reported last year. In the last 10 years, over 60,000 vets have committed suicide.
This news wouldn't make any sensible person want to head for the recruitment centers. What a waste of lives. People are so brainwashed about the glory of "serving." Defense is one thing, but why is the US in Afghanistan again ?