According to the Veterans Administration twenty or more of war veterans kill themselves each day. Their research has also found that veterans are more than twice as likely to commit suicide as the civilians. Those affected the worst are male full time soldiers.
USA Today reported a suicide rate of 19.9 per 100.000 civilian men compared to rates of 31.8 per 100.00 for male soldiers and 34.8 per 100.00 for men in the National Guard. But why is it happening?
One of the reasons is the high level of unemployment and homelessness among war veterans. Over 57.000 of them are homeless on any given night and according to the Department of Labor the unemployment levels are much higher among post 911 veterans than general population. Over 900,000 of them live in households which receive food stamps. The use of food stamps by active duty service members appears to be at an all-time high, according to CNN. The VA reports that over 3.5 million veterans are currently receiving disability benefits and well over 350,000 more survivors of veterans are receiving death benefits.
Recently there has also been a rise in demand by veterans returning home from Afghanistan and Iraq for mental health services. The VA reported to Congress that over 11 percent of its health care was directed to mental health care as opposed to just over 7 percent for the rest of the US population.
Many war vets have been diagnosed with a mental problems.
The war veteran Kryn Miner, 44, served 11 deployments in seven years. He suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder and a traumatic brain injury after a bomb blast in Afghanistan wall. It was one of 19 blasts he endured over two decades of service to his country.
On April 29, Kryn died after being shot by his teenage son, who was defending his mother and his siblings, who Kryn had threatened with a gun. Prosecutors ruled that it was a justified shooting, absolving the teen from facing charges. But it was a tragic ending to a brave military professional and according to his wife, Amy, it wouldn't have happened if the U.S. government were as eager to care for veterans as it is to deploy them overseas in battle.
The 39-year-old widow explained to The Associated Press: "The truth of the matter is if we can't take care of our veterans we shouldn't be sending them off to war. It doesn't make sense. Because they're coming back and this is the result and it's happening more and more."
About 15 percent of veterans who served in Iraq or Afghanistan suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Though estimates are lower for Gulf War vets, the percentage is even higher for Vietnam War vets.
Another Purple Heat- decorated combat veteran, Marine Sgt. Andrew Tahmooressi who also suffers from PTSD, has remained in a Mexican prison since March 31, when he accidentally crossed the border into Mexico with three legally registered firearms in his vehicle, according to CNN. The Blaze explained that he had relocated to San Diego just days before and was still looking for a permanent place to live. That is why he still had most of his possessions in his car when he headed to dinner with friends only 1.7 miles from the Mexican border. Tahmooressi missed his intended exit. He was looking to circle back at the next exit, but it was too late; he had driven across the border.
In the meantime Ronny Porta, 18, a medically retired Marine corporal, who struggled to deal with cruel mutterings about his appearance and the unfeeling questions about whether such wounds were worth it, has finally found he place where he felt he belongs. He stumbled upon the Lovettsville, Virginia northernmost village in the windy, rolling countryside two years ago. His head, face and much of his body were horribly scarred by a roadside bomb attack in Iraq in 2007 that killed two other Marines. He lost his right arm and was left with only a few gnarled fingers on his lift hand. But in Lovettsville Porta has been embraced without reservation.'I found the place where I want to spend the rest of my life.’ He said as he watched the finishing touches to his new home.
A new documentary about War Veterans and PTSD
If you or someone you know is being affected by PTSD, you can contact the Veterans Crisis Line by calling 800-273-8255 or by texting 838255. You also can chat confidentially with someone at http://www.veteranscrisisline.net. Lifeline's number is 800-273-8255.
