“Epidemic” of military suicides investigated
By Alicia Mundy
Seattle Times Washington bureau
WASHINGTON — From 2004 to 2005, 433 people who have served in the military committed suicide in Washington state.
That’s one of the findings of an investigation by CBS News on what the network calls an “epidemic” of military suicides. In 2005 alone, there were 6,256 suicides nationally among those who served in the armed forces — about 120 deaths per week. The two-part CBS report has shocked many members of Congress, because the figures compiled by CBS are higher than other studies have suggested.
“Even for all of the tragic stories I have heard, these facts are astonishing,” said Sen. Patty Murray, a Democrat and an advocate for veterans.
More startling, veterans between 20 and 24 years old — the group most likely to have been in Iraq or Afghanistan — killed themselves at twice the rate of civilians of the same age, CBS found.
The revelations have added another layer of concern to the congressional debate over the war, angering Democrats who believe the administration suppresses negative information. [more]