If you or someone you know might be considering suicide, call or text 9-8-8.
This week, the Voice of San Diego published a powerful story about the alarming rate of youth in the military dying by suicide. Our analysis of local death certificates found that active duty men ages 17 to 25 are almost twice as likely to die by suicide as their civilian peers.
While the government has previously acknowledged that military youth are at “increased risk of suicide,” the reports do not provide specific breakdowns by age and gender. Instead, they emphasize that age- and gender-adjusted suicide rates in the military are comparable to those in the general population.
And despite hundreds of millions of dollars in research and prevention programs directed directly at the military, the problem is not getting any better.
Reporter Will Huntsberry spoke with our editors Andrew Keatts and Andrea Lopez-Villafaña on the latest podcast to share more about his findings. Here is an excerpt from that conversation.
Will Huntsberry: The main findings were that young men were nearly twice as likely to die by suicide as their civilian peers. The suicide rate among young people between the ages of 17 and 25 is 45.6 per hundred thousand, which is much higher than among civilians, around 25 per hundred thousand.
It’s especially shocking because for decades and decades, the active-duty military’s suicide rate was much lower than that of the civilian population. Military leaders were telling us that we do an assessment for the people we bring into the military, they’re fitter physically, they’re fitter mentally. And something has happened where that is no longer the case.
Andrew Keatts: How and when did this change?
WH: It started to change in the early 2000s when we were going to war in Iraq and Afghanistan. The operational pace of the military is something a lot of people will talk to you about, whether you’re deployed or not. Everybody is doing more exercises, doing more things, everything is more intense. The last seven years have been nothing like 2003 to 2012, but this phenomenon continues nonetheless. The suicide rate among the general population has been growing in general, but now it’s also going through those military doors and a lot of money has been spent trying to figure it out and fix it. And that money that is being thrown at the problem is not working.
AK: What has been the military’s response to this if they even acknowledge that this trend is happening?
WH: They recognize it. They do a couple annual suicide reports, but what they tend to do is an age- and gender-adjusted comparison of suicide of the entire military versus the entire US population.
AK: So they don’t break it down, like you did with 17-25 year olds?
WH: That’s what we did that was new. Breaking it down and trying to see the subsets where there really is a big disparity. That’s what we were able to do, which those reports don’t do.
However, they have spent a lot of money. Many people will talk to you about resilience. They want to train troops to be resilient when it comes to emotional issues, whether it’s stress or anger management, family communication or financial planning. I spoke to an expert who has studied some of those programs and many of those programs have been found to be ineffective, but that remains one of the main ways the military actively pursues them.
Think of military culture as a warrior culture. That has to be part of what you think of when you think of this. You go to boot camp, especially in these infantry-equipped services, like the Marines or the Army, they tell you to get over your pain. That is one of the biggest lessons, if not the biggest possible lesson.
You learn to overcome your pain so that you can help your brothers and sisters and help your country. So when you ask people to tell you about mental health issues they’re experiencing, or a crisis they’re experiencing, the kind of shame you might feel or the sense of failure you might feel associated with that. It’s going to be much more amplified than here, where there’s already a stigma around mental health issues. So I think that’s the problem. These services are not reaching the people they need, and in the way they need it, due to this increased warrior culture of sacrifice within the military.
I spoke to an ex-sailor who had a lot of mental health issues and had spoken like he was supposed to. She had time set aside to see a counselor, but later said all of her fellow sailors made her feel like she was letting them down when she went out weekly to get the treatment she needed.
Click here to listen to the full conversation.
Do you have a story or experience you would like to share? Contact reporter Will Huntsberry at will@vosd.org.
What We’re Working On
On suicide rates among young men on active duty…
“Having lost two very good friends to suicide, he doesn’t even make a dent in these articles anymore. When you have the Chief Petty Officer of the Navy telling people to go pay for their own mental health care and ‘lower their standards’, you can’t be surprised when people finally reach the end of what they can handle. ” – Navydevildoc
On housing production in San Diego…
“The real problem is that market-rate housing is out of reach for much, if not most, of our population. Building ADUs, allowing two duplexes on single-family lots, or other tricks are not going to solve the fundamental problem, which is affordability. The private sector is simply not willing to build housing that people can afford.” –Paul Webb
Although it is not a new problem, suicides have increased in recent years. In 2020, the Army saw its highest rates of suicide among active duty soldiers, Army Reserves, and the National Guard: 32 suicides per 100,000 soldiers.
What does 22 mean in military?
Scott Applewhite/AP. A single number has shaped the way Americans think about young military veterans. It’s number 22, as in, 22 vets take their own lives every day. The number has become a rallying cry for advocates trying to bring attention to suicide among veterans, especially those who served in Iraq and Afghanistan…
What is the 22 a day project? Every purchase helps us deliver free memorial plaques to the families of fallen heroes, every week. About 22 veterans a day take their own lives, and we have to do better. This OG t-shirt raises awareness and donates for therapy for vets in need. End veteran suicide.
What does stop 22 mean?
In honor of Veterans Day, we invite you to join the STOP 22 movement by participating in the virtual STOP 22 5k/10k/Half Marathon. This is a virtual race, which means you can run or walk whenever and wherever you want. All registrants will receive a personalized race number and a commemorative 4″ STOP 22 medal.
Why do they call it Catch-22?
In it, Heller describes a military regulation, Catch-22, that puts a pilot named Orr in an impossible situation: There was only one catch, and that was Catch-22, which specified that a concern for one’s safety from the dangers that they were real and immediate was the process of a rational mind.
What is a catch-22 in a relationship?
A situation that has no solution is often called a catch-22, in reference to the novel by Joseph Heller. Catch-22 situations are defined by mutually conflicting conditions on both sides of the situation, keeping someone stuck in the status quo.
What was mission 22?
Mission 22 offers treatment programs to veterans for post-traumatic stress, traumatic brain injury, and other issues they may be facing. Organize events and build memorials to create social impact and awareness on these issues.
Is Mission 22 A legitimate charity?
Mission 22 Nonprofit Overview: Mission 22 is a nonprofit organization fighting the rising rate of veteran suicides. Every day, more than twenty veterans commit suicide. Mission 22 wants to bring that number to zero and help heal our warriors and our nation.
Who started Mission 22?
Mission 22, founded by veteran Magnus Johnson, was organized to help combat the suicide epidemic among veterans.
How can the military prevent suicide?
Social networks
- If you are struggling, or know someone who is, help is available. Call the Military & Veterans Crisis Line at 800-273-8255 and press 1.
- Hope is a reality. Help is available. Veterans and service members can call 1-800-273-8255 and press 1 for free, confidential help.
What is military suicide watch? Suicide surveillance (sometimes abbreviated as SW) is an intensive monitoring process used to ensure that no person attempts suicide. Typically, the term is used in reference to inmates or patients in a prison, hospital, psychiatric hospital, or military base.
When is military suicide prevention month?
September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, and we want to raise awareness of how you can protect yourself and your loved ones from this complex and tragic health issue. In 2007, VA established The Veterans Crisis Line, a free and confidential 24-hour hotline for veterans and their family/friends.
What is a tango in the military?
What does tango mean in the army? a slang term used in the military. In creating the NATO phonetic alphabet in the 1930s, the letter T stands for tango, which has become slang for target, or in this case, enemy. When the plane is shot down, it means “shoot” at the target, as well as “neutralize” or “kill” the target.
Does tango mean fight? Origin of It takes two to tango People often apply this expression to fighting or romance. They use it to emphasize that love is a partnership and that both parties are to blame in a conflict.
Why are enemies called tango?
Why are enemies called tangos? In the 1930s, the NATO phonetic alphabet assigned the letter T to the word tango, which was used as a slang term for enemy or target. †Shooting down a target is ‘shooting’, particularly when trying to land a plane, and also means ‘neutralize’ or ‘kill’ the target.
What does tango mean in slang?
noun. (slang) Enemy, used among special police forces, derived from the abbreviation for target using the NATO phonetic alphabet.
Why does the military use the word tango?
What does tango mean in the army? a slang term used in the military. In creating the NATO phonetic alphabet in the 1930s, the letter T stands for tango, which has become slang for target, or in this case, enemy. When the plane is shot down, it means “shoot” at the target, as well as “neutralize” or “kill” the target.
What does Bravo tango mean in military?
That thought led them to hire XAPPmedia to design and build the new Google Assistant app called Bravo Tango, a military-inspired shorthand for “brain training.” It is developed to assist soldiers returning from combat in their ongoing efforts to readjust to civilian society.
What does tango mean in the military?
Tango down is said to originate from military jargon. In the NATO phonetic alphabet, established in the 1930s, the letter T is tango and became slang for target or “enemy”. Shooting down a target is “shooting” them, especially when a plane lands, but also “neutralizing” or “killing” them.
What does Roger tango mean?
roger/roger that Meaning: Message received. Origin: The NATO Phonetic Alphabet – An earlier version of the alphabet used “Roger” to stand for the letter R. Fun fact: They now use “Romeo”.