Editorial: Study sounds alarm on military suicides

For a nation that claims to revere and honor its men and women in uniform, the Unites States hasn’t done nearly enough to address the ongoing epidemic of suicide by active-duty members of the military and our veterans.

A recent study by Brown University puts this into clear and unflinching focus: Since the 2001 terrorist attacks, the nation has lost 7,057 members of the armed forces in combat operations related to the war on terror.

In that same period, researchers estimate 30,177 active-duty personnel and veterans have taken their own lives, a number four times greater than those killed in action. Veterans account for 22,261 of those deaths.

It’s important to note that these are estimates since data reporting about suicide is complicated. But the Brown University report cites a number of contributing factors. Including “high exposure to trauma, stress, military culture and training, continued access to guns, and the difficulty of reintegrating into civilian life.” It also notes the prevalence of “traumatic brain injuries, the war’s protracted length, advances in medical treatment that keep service members in the military longer, and the American public’s disinterest in the post-9/11 wars.”