As a nation we have been given the great gift of our men and women in uniform willing to give their lives for the preservation of our freedom and founding principles. Losing a loved one in combat is often what we think of when we are reflecting on the loss of life and remembrance during the Memorial Day activities, but there are many that are sacrificing their lives off the battlefield. Our military is struggling with suicide problem that is having an impact on those that serve or have served.
Unfortunately it is not just our Active Duty military that are facing the struggles of service. There has been an outrageous rise in the rate of suicide in the GWOT veterans community. There are estimates currently that 17+ veterans take their life by suicide each day. It is the second leading cause of death for veterans 45 years or younger. How absolutely tragic.
The Department of Defense has compiled all of the data of those that have been lost on Active Duty for various reasons, and the data is telling an alarming story. You can see in the highlighted section as the number of AD members declines, the rate of suicide is on a steady incline. The largest uptick in 2020 which was extremely hard on our military and there have been zero apologies from the piss poor leaders for their tyrannical actions.
If you want to see the full report you can find it here https://dcas.dmdc.osd.mil/dcas/app/summaryData/deaths/byYearManner
A quote from a recent study on what drives suicide or suicidal ideation in AD and veterans, “Our findings suggest that ineffectiveness, low belongingness, and agitation are important drivers of moment-to-moment and longitudinal relations between risk factors for suicidal ideation in ADSM and veterans. Targeting these symptoms may disrupt suicidal ideation.”
We are currently experiencing this weird disconnect with our military leadership between their words and their actions. They will say “we must take care of our people” and at the same time create the conditions for discontent within the ranks. Just interacting with my husband during his time in service it was more of a surprise when you had a leader that set expectations and provided resources, or understood that being in the military isn’t a reason to abandon your private life. The military is a job just like any other, but the leadership becomes drunk with power when they have the ability to order you into submission to their idiotic ideas and disruptive way of life.
It took the publics reaction to the suicide death of Brandon Caserta to change the stigma around mental health in the force. His death was the catalyst for the Brandon Act that implemented the soldiers ability self initiate mental health treatment. But the tipping point that led to the loss of Brandon is the known and acknowledged pattern of toxic leadership that was publicly exposed after the investigation into his suicide. The worst part of it really is that his story is not unique, but incredibly tragic. There have been multiple other investigations into suicides that demonstrate the same patterns that are ignored by others in higher positions because they are either weak or do not care, there is no other reason in my mind.
Our leaders are letting down our soldiers, and really do not care until their name is in flashing lights of failure. After the passage of the Brandon Act, Secretary Gil Cisneros said, “Our greatest strength is our people, and we are committed to their well-being.” What an absolute load of shit. I just watched 3 years of the most absolute toxic leadership I have ever seen in my life with the blessing of these shitbag secretaries of the combatant commands.
So no matter what they claim and how much they bloviate to congress, there is clearly something going on in regards to mental health that no amount of worthless reports from the Defense Suicide Prevention Office will fix. Maybe it is time for us to stop prioritizing cultural rot and division within the force and move to a place of unity and fellowship. The latest numbers are reflecting things are not well.
I know it is not a purely leadership driven phenomenon, and I do know the military is a job that is not like most jobs. With the exception of first responders or medical professionals, trauma is not an expected part of most employment practices. What is different from those positions are the combat operations that have life changing impact on our service members. So on this Memorial Day we must also recognize that while we honor and remember those that were lost in combat, some loss is delayed but shared.
Separate from the short comings of active duty life, are the actions or deterrents we see within the veterans system at large. If you have dealt with this absurdly difficult agency then you understand why it’s failing our veterans. So the current climate is this, you leave the military after some time dealing with toxic leadership or traumatic experiences then you are thrust into a system that is not working for you and almost feels like its working against you. “Oh your knee hurts? Is it service related?” Probably, y’all break people off then they have to beg for the benefits that assholes in congress are willing to give to foreigners fighting in other wars because that’s who funds their reelection.
Douche.
They betray you then are mystified by the outcomes. What we are seeing unfold is the awakening to the betrayal of our military members and veterans. We watched the chaos and utter disregard by the President and most of our elected officials during and after the withdrawal from Afghanistan. For 20 years we lost friends and loved ones in these wars in the Middle East justified by lies and omissions, just to watch it end in complete heart ache and tragedy.
And worse, if you are a veteran you better not speak up about your mental health because they will deem you “mentally incapable,” put you in the National Instant Criminal Background Check registry and restrict your second amendment rights by precluding you from gun ownership. And that is just one example.
So maybe this is why we are losing so many of those under 45. The environment is unsustainable. People feel left out, let down and alone and it’s showing itself in the worst way possible. What a disgrace.
So to quote my favs John C. Dvorak and Adam Curry, “Connection is Protection.” If you are struggling or see someone struggling provide comfort in fellowship and humanity. We have watched so much degrading and jarring behavior over the last many years, it is time to turn the tide as a community of shared experiences and desired outcomes.
Peace be with you.
