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The Pentagon recently announced a sad milestone. Suicides in the U.S. Army reached an all-time high in 2008, a rate of 20.2 per 100,000. When asked why the numbers keep going up, Army Secretary Pete Geren’s response was: “We cannot tell you.” Well, I don’t have the answer either, but based on my own experiences I can give you a couple of small pieces of the puzzle, something to think about the next time you see a veteran.
There is no such thing as a typical combat tour. Everybody does their own time, but whether you are a cook or a grunt or a supply clerk, a tour of duty in a combat zone is highly stressful. What keeps you going is the knowledge that sooner or later you will leave it all behind and go home. But once home, it doesn’t take long for the returning vet to realize two things.
First, the war comes home with you. It is inside you, like a malarial parasite that flares up at unexpected moments. You jump at any sharp noise. You can’t sleep soundly at night. You can’t just walk into a dark room; you have to wait for your night vision. Memories of the war buzz around inside your head 24/7. And then there is all that anger bubbling up ever closer to the surface.
Second, the image of home you carried in your head while you were overseas no longer matches reality. Everyone but you seems to have moved on with their lives. Mom and dad have gotten older. The neighborhood isn’t the same. Your wife got used to taking care of things by herself. Your old girl friend is seeing someone else. Your best buddy is married and can’t party with you like he used to. Joe got the promotion you would have gotten.
My point here is that every veteran has lived through an experience that takes a long time to process, and it doesn't help that the coming home party may not be what they thought it would be. It is a lot to deal with. Most do, but many can’t. And the military culture is still uncomfortable dealing with stress-related issues. But then so is everybody else, which is part of the problem.
We used to say that nothing is too good for the troops and that's just what they get: nothing. Well, for their sakes and our sakes, that needs to change.
