Senator demands exact numbers on vet suicides

[unhappycamper]

Source: Army Times

Senator demands exact numbers on vet suicides
By Kelly Kennedy - Staff writer
Posted : Friday May 16, 2008 5:56:40 EDT

After several hearings spent trying to learn the exact numbers of suicides among veterans, the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee has formally requested exact data.

In a letter, Sen. Daniel Akaka, D-Hawaii, chairman of the committee, asked the Veterans Affairs Department for the total number of vets who have committed suicide or attempted it, the number of vets who were under VA care when they committed or attempted suicide, what VA is doing to improve outreach and care for veterans ages 30 to 64, and all VA’s health care quality assurance reviews relating to suicide over the past three years.

“We will not know the true cost of war until we know the true rate of suicide among veterans,” Akaka said in a prepared statement. “Until the VA mental health care system meets the needs of those who have served, we will continue to see the tragic consequence of veteran suicides.”

The issue came to a head recently when an e-mail written by VA’s top mental health doctor came to light. The e-mail read: “Shh! Our suicide prevention coordinators are identifying about 1,000 suicide attempts per month among the veterans we see in our medical facilities. Is this something we should (carefully) address ourselves in some sort of release before somebody stumbles on it?”

Read more: http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/05/military_vasuicides_datarequest_051508w/

[Alexander]

1. K&R

We need to know this.

:thumbsup:

[greiner3]

2. bushco will scream;

"Executive privilege, executive privilege!

[Pavlovs DiOgie]

3. Good

More Senators need to start pushing to get our vets the help they deserve.

[ToughLuck]

4. United States of America under Bush, when has it been more secretive?

When has it ever been more corrupt? War criminals who claim to be pro-American's have been nothing but damaging to our troops. The corporate garbage media, never even allowed Winter Soldier hearings to be televised, such a dark time for our country, I am truly sad.

[catgirl]

5. It's about time

[The Wizard]

6. For an Administration that won't allow images

of flag draped coffins, this will be hidden as doctor patient privilege.

[Highway61]

7. Finally!

My only question is what took so long? I am willing to bet the numbers are staggering....and I believe they will cook those numbers.

[casaloma]

8. Ft Lewis suicide identified

In the news yesterday here in Washington St. was the memorial for a man the Army was identifying as a suicide, apparently the first time they had done so, although "common knowledge" had it that there had been several. Story was a bit murky, but it looked as though he had done multiple deployments to the Middle East. There was speculation in the story that there had been a change of policy in the military re: admitting the death had been a suicide.

[Phred42]

9. What makes him think he will be given a REAL number?

[cascadiance]

10. And should know homicides as well... And those for mercenary companies too!

We need the big picture here. Those who've seen "In The Valley of Elah" know the possible extent of the problem of PTSD can be. And it isn't just soldiers taking their own lives that is a potential problem. We have a ticking time bomb on our hands!

More than 58,000 vets from the Vietnam War have committed suicide (MORE than who actually died in action there). With almost six times as many soldiers being wounded this time around versus dying in that war, you can imagine the potential statistics we will have soon from this war!