Citizens Can Be The Answer

Military Suicides Hit Record High In 2012

This year 349 soldiers and veterans have died from suicide. Thats almost one a day, more than died in combat all year. In our specialized reporting class at Salisbury University we have been focusing on issues that veterans and soldiers face in the military. Anything from PTSD to a lack of jobs has come up in our discussions but never something as extreme as suicide. As students we try to find stories that are not so bleak and horrible, but those appear to be the stories that bring the most attention to an issue. This is one of those issues that needs to be addressed.

When a statistic comes out saying that more people have died upon returning home from battle than have died in battle, it is staggering. What are we doing to combat this issue? This is a question that has been circulating around the military for years and it's answer comes from citizens. While the military tries to set up ways to combat illness like PTSD before it gets to the point of suicide, citizens have made the biggest contribution. I recently had a conversation with a volunteer from Operation Welcome Home Maryland, an organization that greets every returning soldier and family that comes through the gates at the Baltimore Washington Airport. She told me that they aim to never miss a return and some members will even wait at the gate at two or three in the morning. While this is not a support group, I find it hard to believe that a returning soldier will not be touched by complete strangers thanking them for their service at such an early hour. I think that organizations like these, organizations that have no other goal but to embrace and honor veterans and soldiers, are the most effective. Soldiers have embraced a culture of not talking about their issues and staying tough. Maybe just showing them that regular people appreciate their sacrifice will go a long way in the healing process.