Comments on: VA Tried to Conceal Extent of Attempted Veteran Suicides, E-mail Shows http://www.dissidentvoice.org/2008/04/va-tried-to-conceal-extent-of-attempted-veteran-suicides-e-mail-shows/ a radical newsletter in the struggle for peace and social justice Fri, 21 Nov 2008 23:38:52 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.1 By: evie http://www.dissidentvoice.org/2008/04/va-tried-to-conceal-extent-of-attempted-veteran-suicides-e-mail-shows/#comment-19053 evie Wed, 23 Apr 2008 03:36:22 +0000 http://www.dissidentvoice.org/?p=1891#comment-19053 Thanks for the response. Actually 18 a day covering 58 or so years of war is not high. If 4-5 a day are Iraq/Afghanistan, that seems steep. If 90 percent, or 30 a day of Iraq/Afghan vets are attempting suicide that also seems high. My middle son is currently in Maryland - in Army Public Affairs, I'll ask him to check around. Thanks for the response. Actually 18 a day covering 58 or so years of war is not high. If 4-5 a day are Iraq/Afghanistan, that seems steep. If 90 percent, or 30 a day of Iraq/Afghan vets are attempting suicide that also seems high.

My middle son is currently in Maryland - in Army Public Affairs, I’ll ask him to check around.

]]> By: Jason Leopold http://www.dissidentvoice.org/2008/04/va-tried-to-conceal-extent-of-attempted-veteran-suicides-e-mail-shows/#comment-19050 Jason Leopold Wed, 23 Apr 2008 03:15:33 +0000 http://www.dissidentvoice.org/?p=1891#comment-19050 Hi Evie Thanks for your questions. These are the figures that we know of right now. The VA is not being forthcoming but of the 18 suicides everyday those represent vets in all wars, including what you cited, and it represents combat veterans. Four to five of those suicides represent vets under VA care and are believed to be Iraq and Afghanistan vets. But again, the VA won't release the data to confirm this. There isn't a breakdown as far as age, sex, race, etc. Of the 1,000 vets who attempt suicide every month 90 percent represent Iraq and Afghanistan vets. I hope that provides some insight. Sorry I couldn't be more helpful Best Jason Hi Evie
Thanks for your questions. These are the figures that we know of right now. The VA is not being forthcoming but of the 18 suicides everyday those represent vets in all wars, including what you cited, and it represents combat veterans. Four to five of those suicides represent vets under VA care and are believed to be Iraq and Afghanistan vets. But again, the VA won’t release the data to confirm this.

There isn’t a breakdown as far as age, sex, race, etc. Of the 1,000 vets who attempt suicide every month 90 percent represent Iraq and Afghanistan vets.

I hope that provides some insight. Sorry I couldn’t be more helpful
Best
Jason

]]> By: evie http://www.dissidentvoice.org/2008/04/va-tried-to-conceal-extent-of-attempted-veteran-suicides-e-mail-shows/#comment-19042 evie Wed, 23 Apr 2008 02:22:25 +0000 http://www.dissidentvoice.org/?p=1891#comment-19042 Jason Math is not my best subject. "Katz’s response is startling. He said the VA has identified nearly 1,000 suicide attempts per month among war veterans treated by the VA." --- Suicide attempts by "war vets" - does that 1000 include Korean, Vietnam, Grenada, Panama, Gulf War, Kosovo, US/UN peacekeeping troops, etc. ? or just Iraq/Afghanistan? And of "... that roughly 126 veterans of all wars commit suicide per week" is there a breakdown by age and whether they saw combat or not? White men over age 65 commit suicide at 3 times the national average rate. Likely many of them are vets, whether they saw combat or not. "Last week, the RAND Corporation released a study that said about 300,000 U.S. troops sent to combat in Iraq and Afghanistan are suffering from major depression or PTSD, and 320,000 received traumatic brain injuries." ----- I couldn't be bribed enough to believe anything coming from Rand, the original stink tank founded for and by the military to advise the military with such notable members as Condi Rice, Donald Rumsfeld, Scooter Libbey, and Henry Kissinger. "They" did the same thing in the '60s - run people run, those brain damaged crazyass suicidal/homicidal vets are returning. Avert your eyes when you see one and throw more money at the VA which has always given piss-poor medical care at best. Jason
Math is not my best subject.

“Katz’s response is startling. He said the VA has identified nearly 1,000 suicide attempts per month among war veterans treated by the VA.”

— Suicide attempts by “war vets” - does that 1000 include Korean, Vietnam, Grenada, Panama, Gulf War, Kosovo, US/UN peacekeeping troops, etc. ? or just Iraq/Afghanistan?

And of “… that roughly 126 veterans of all wars commit suicide per week” is there a breakdown by age and whether they saw combat or not?

White men over age 65 commit suicide at 3 times the national average rate. Likely many of them are vets, whether they saw combat or not.

“Last week, the RAND Corporation released a study that said about 300,000 U.S. troops sent to combat in Iraq and Afghanistan are suffering from major depression or PTSD, and 320,000 received traumatic brain injuries.” —– I couldn’t be bribed enough to believe anything coming from Rand, the original stink tank founded for and by the military to advise the military with such notable members as Condi Rice, Donald Rumsfeld, Scooter Libbey, and Henry Kissinger.

“They” did the same thing in the ’60s - run people run, those brain damaged crazyass suicidal/homicidal vets are returning. Avert your eyes when you see one and throw more money at the VA which has always given piss-poor medical care at best.

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