Editor’s Note: I wish I could see more positive news rather than the negatives headlines of war, drug overdose, rising rents, inflation, traffic and especially veteran suicides.
It’s heartbreaking to know that the suicide rate among active-duty troops and veterans is on the rise, outpacing the also-rising rate in the general population in recent years. Military life some with different risk factors and it’s difficult to pin down why.
There’s no one reason for it, according to a study released Monday by the Costs of War Project, and the way the Defense Department and VA track suicides might mean even their growing numbers are incomplete.
Per researchers’ estimates, 30,177 Global War on Terror veterans have died by suicide, compared to 7,057 who have died while deployed in support of the Global War on Terror.
We, as a society need to ask ourselves…What is causing this? Why didn’t anyone intervene? What can be done to prevent an ever-increasing era of depression?
I’m proud to see a few local patriots who do have the compassion and conviction to change the course of suicide. Just to name a few; Singer/songwriter J.T. Cooper, Rutherford County Veterans Community Center, Brian Morris, Andrew Farrah, Ken Norfleet, Dewey Hunter, Judge Ben Hall McFarland Jr’s Veterans Court, Judge Barry Tidwell and others here in our community.
3 USS George Washington sailors took their own lives in one week: report
A sailor aboard the USS George Washington in Virginia fatally shot himself last week — the third sailor assigned to the ship to take their own life this month, and the 7th this year, according to reports.
Master-at-Arms Seaman Recruit Xavier Hunter Mitchell-Sandor died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound on April 15, Virginia’s Chief Medical Examiner Office confirmed, the United States Navy Institute News reported.
Officials from the Naval Criminal Investigation Service would not confirm whether Mitchell-Sandor was on duty at the time or if he had used a service weapon. No other details were released about the incident as the investigation continues.
“NCIS is conducting a thorough investigation to determine the circumstances surrounding the death of MASR Xavier Mitchell-Sandor, as we do in response to all non-combat, medically unattended fatalities of Department of the Navy service members,” spokesman Jeff Houston.
To Read More Great Content by The NY Post Visit: https://nypost.com/2022/04/22/3-uss-george-washington-sailors-took-their-own-lives-in-one-week/
