General WTF? Is anyone else not aware of the number of suicides in the Air Force and military?

Welcome to our Community
Wanting to join the rest of our members? Feel free to Sign Up today.
Sign up

Splinty

Shake 'em off
Admin
Dec 31, 2014
44,116
91,095
Yes it's a huge problem. It's also a huge problem in the veteran population.
Some of this is selection bias. There are traits in the demographics that when compared to civilian population are higher traits for suicide and suicide completions.

But above this the job is hard and the military has a poor history of lifestyle balance.

After leaving the military veterans find themselves with non-transferable skills. You've been managing teams in the middle East and have all this knowledge and none of it fits right on paper in a civilian job. So now you're basically told you have no skill set in the solution to this has been congressional mandated PowerPoint to death on discharge. Oh yeah people are thrown into the work world without skills and a plan outside of a military base? We better make them watch some PowerPoints!
 

psychicdeath

Member
Jan 21, 2015
955
1,521
In 1980 about a month after arriving at my first duty station after tech school, the guy across the hall from me in the dorm hung himself. During 21 years of service, I think around a dozen people I knew committed suicide. It's not an easy life and things like constant deployments, long hours, etc. don't make things any easier.
 

Robbie Hart

All Biden Voters Are Mindless Sheep
Feb 13, 2015
49,703
50,709
Yes it's a huge problem. It's also a huge problem in the veteran population.
Some of this is selection bias. There are traits in the demographics that when compared to civilian population are higher traits for suicide and suicide completions.

But above this the job is hard and the military has a poor history of lifestyle balance.

After leaving the military veterans find themselves with non-transferable skills. You've been managing teams in the middle East and have all this knowledge and none of it fits right on paper in a civilian job. So now you're basically told you have no skill set in the solution to this has been congressional mandated PowerPoint to death on discharge. Oh yeah people are thrown into the work world without skills and a plan outside of a military base? We better make them watch some PowerPoints!
In 1980 about a month after arriving at my first duty station after tech school, the guy across the hall from me in the dorm hung himself. During 21 years of service, I think around a dozen people I knew committed suicide. It's not an easy life and things like constant deployments, long hours, etc. don't make things any easier.
I get the non transferable skills on paper and that’s bullshit they get treated like that because HR doesn’t see a match....you go and fight for your country under extremely stressful circumstances.......and now, just integrate into calm society but you “don’t have relevant experience necessary according to our math machine”

Psychicdeath, I’m sorry man and can’t even begin to say I understand

It’s not good
 

KWingJitsu

ยาเม็ดสีแดงหรือสีฟ้ายา?
Nov 15, 2015
10,311
12,758
I think, and don't quote me, Correctional Officers suicides are also abnormally high as well.
 
M

member 603

Guest
I think, and don't quote me, Correctional Officers suicides are also abnormally high as well.
And apparently Dentists too..... And the country of Sweden has a high suicide rate..... If anyone I knew said that they were seeing a Swedish dentist, I'd be like..

 

SongExotic2

ATM 3 CHAMPION OF THE WORLD. #FREECAIN
First 100
Jan 16, 2015
39,772
53,672
Yes it's a huge problem. It's also a huge problem in the veteran population.
Some of this is selection bias. There are traits in the demographics that when compared to civilian population are higher traits for suicide and suicide completions.

But above this the job is hard and the military has a poor history of lifestyle balance.

After leaving the military veterans find themselves with non-transferable skills. You've been managing teams in the middle East and have all this knowledge and none of it fits right on paper in a civilian job. So now you're basically told you have no skill set in the solution to this has been congressional mandated PowerPoint to death on discharge. Oh yeah people are thrown into the work world without skills and a plan outside of a military base? We better make them watch some PowerPoints!
Bizarrely I would still recommend that someone coming out of high school should join the military. Especially in the USA. Free life skills and free education afterwards.

I can only speak from my own experiences but here in the UK serving in the military is a big plus to a civilian employer. The current job I have came from a recruiter calling me and saying the company is looking for ex military guys in my field because in the past we have integrated well. And this Belgium gig was landed because myself and colleague are both used to travelling (not jippo style) and they felt comfortable sending us here as opposed to other folks from derby. Either that or they think we are cunts and wanted rid
 

Jesus X

4 drink minimum.
Sep 7, 2015
28,766
31,291
In 1980 about a month after arriving at my first duty station after tech school, the guy across the hall from me in the dorm hung himself. During 21 years of service, I think around a dozen people I knew committed suicide. It's not an easy life and things like constant deployments, long hours, etc. don't make things any easier.
damn are you about 60 years old.
 

Jesus X

4 drink minimum.
Sep 7, 2015
28,766
31,291
none of my njrotc friends committed suicide but one came back an angry person and a worse alcoholic than me. his personality had changed. he didn't even serve in iraq he was somewhere in asia possibly korea.
 

silentsinger

Momofuku
Jun 23, 2015
21,038
14,484
I”m old enough to remember my babysitter watching Pride in The Name of Love by U2 in a tv show and me adoring it.
 

Sheepdog

Protecting America from excessive stool loitering
Dec 1, 2015
8,912
14,237
You Americans have far too many people serving in your military as a result of the whole imperialist, semi-fascist welfare state you've established. You have too many people who join for economic reasons because your normal welfare state is broken. So you have to deal with the consequences of it.

Close to 10% of your adult population has served, which is insane. In Australia it's only like 1%. Remember we're retards who have been sucked into going to your silly wars that most smarter countries haven't so that's probably relatively high by rich country standards.

I know like one cunt who has served in the Australian military and he was the exact type of dipshit you'd expect would want to join up so he could go shoot people. He'll be fine as long as he can find puppies to drown.

Nobody smart or with any prospects joins the military here. In normal countries, people realize that serving in the military is fucking shithouse.
 

Wild

Zi Nazi
Admin
Dec 31, 2014
85,004
123,331
none of my njrotc friends committed suicide but one came back an angry person and a worse alcoholic than me. his personality had changed. he didn't even serve in iraq he was somewhere in asia possibly korea.
I don’t know a lot of former military (or maybe I do, and the folks I interact with simply haven’t shared it with me), but I have noticed that many I do know seem to be angry people. Maybe that’s coincidence. Or I wonder if there’s something causing that?
 
1

1372

Guest
You Americans have far too many people serving in your military as a result of the whole imperialist, semi-fascist welfare state you've established. You have too many people who join for economic reasons because your normal welfare state is broken. So you have to deal with the consequences of it.

Close to 10% of your adult population has served, which is insane. In Australia it's only like 1%. Remember we're retards who have been sucked into going to your silly wars that most smarter countries haven't so that's probably relatively high by rich country standards.

I know like one cunt who has served in the Australian military and he was the exact type of dipshit you'd expect would want to join up so he could go shoot people. He'll be fine as long as he can find puppies to drown.

Nobody smart or with any prospects joins the military here. In normal countries, people realize that serving in the military is fucking shithouse.

While not agreeing with everything

Yah

Nah

Fucking going to sleep
 

Splinty

Shake 'em off
Admin
Dec 31, 2014
44,116
91,095
You Americans have far too many people serving in your military as a result of the whole imperialist, semi-fascist welfare state you've established. You have too many people who join for economic reasons because your normal welfare state is broken. So you have to deal with the consequences of it.

Close to 10% of your adult population has served, which is insane. In Australia it's only like 1%. Remember we're retards who have been sucked into going to your silly wars that most smarter countries haven't so that's probably relatively high by rich country standards.

I know like one cunt who has served in the Australian military and he was the exact type of dipshit you'd expect would want to join up so he could go shoot people. He'll be fine as long as he can find puppies to drown.

Nobody smart or with any prospects joins the military here. In normal countries, people realize that serving in the military is fucking shithouse.
I've met Australian doctors who serve in the military. They have lots of other options. They told me that essentially most people think the same as you and that kind of vitriol dissuades people from joining. I'm getting free Applebee's (the main reason I serve) and your guys get shit on. So I believe everything you're posting is truly your opinion and how many Aussies seem to view life and their military members.



The ANZACs represent some of the finest military members I've ever served with. Absolute dedication and discipline. I watched a handful practice doing ironman prep in the middle east. They'd put in a marathon on the treadmill and over 100 miles on the stationary bike. Fucking ironman training in a shitty little room in the middle east. No excuse, just focus. Total peak fitness. Could run circles around our guys doing curls for the girls. It's unfortunate they aren't given more respect. By your reasoning, your military isn't too big. Thus you've got no excuse for it to be a group you view as an underclass. Instead it seems self-created.
 

Sheepdog

Protecting America from excessive stool loitering
Dec 1, 2015
8,912
14,237
I've met Australian doctors who serve in the military. They have lots of other options. They told me that essentially most people think the same as you and that kind of vitriol dissuades people from joining. I'm getting free Applebee's (the main reason I serve) and your guys get shit on. So I believe everything you're posting is truly your opinion and how many Aussies seem to view life and their military members.



The ANZACs represent some of the finest military members I've ever served with. Absolute dedication and discipline. I watched a handful practice doing ironman prep in the middle east. They'd put in a marathon on the treadmill and over 100 miles on the stationary bike. Total peak fitness. Could run circles around our guys doing curls for the girls. It's unfortunate they aren't given more respect. By your reasoning, your military isn't too big. Thus you've got no excuse for it to be a group you view as an underclass. Instead it seems self-created.
There are of course many fine people who serve. I was being a bit over the top with my language in the final part. So let me clarify.

My point about the dude I know was just to reinforce that I don't know any regular dudes who have served, only the type of guy who nobody was surprised he wanted to pick up a gun. I was also ploughing a girl who was in the army too for a little while and she lived up the stereotype. Those are the only two I know.

While normal, decent educated members of the Australian army like the ones you've met of course exist, they make up a very small percentage of the total population. I simply don't know any of them. If I'd grown up in the US, this would not be the case.

And the bit about serving in the military being shit is not as insulting as it sounds. That's kind of the point of why it's called sacrifice. But in the US a lot more people make that sacrifice for economic reasons, not because of some sense of duty (there is empirical evidence on this).

Signing up to potentially go die fighting an Afghan goat farmer for no reason is seen as a strange life choice by many here, though. That's a good thing.
 

Filthy

Iowa Wrestling Champion
Jun 28, 2016
27,507
29,834
You Americans have far too many people serving in your military as a result of the whole imperialist, semi-fascist welfare state you've established. You have too many people who join for economic reasons because your normal welfare state is broken. So you have to deal with the consequences of it.

Close to 10% of your adult population has served, which is insane. In Australia it's only like 1%. Remember we're retards who have been sucked into going to your silly wars that most smarter countries haven't so that's probably relatively high by rich country standards.

I know like one cunt who has served in the Australian military and he was the exact type of dipshit you'd expect would want to join up so he could go shoot people. He'll be fine as long as he can find puppies to drown.

Nobody smart or with any prospects joins the military here. In normal countries, people realize that serving in the military is fucking shithouse.
As a veteran, I support this statement.

 

b00ts

pews&vrooms
Amateur Fighter
Oct 21, 2015
5,599
8,635
It’s a pretty well known issue. A 2016 report had it at 20 veterans a day. Some of us just couldn’t reintegrate back into society and felt no one was there to help them.
 

otaku1

TMMAC Addict
Jul 16, 2015
4,649
5,893
I've met Australian doctors who serve in the military. They have lots of other options. They told me that essentially most people think the same as you and that kind of vitriol dissuades people from joining. I'm getting free Applebee's (the main reason I serve) and your guys get shit on. So I believe everything you're posting is truly your opinion and how many Aussies seem to view life and their military members.



The ANZACs represent some of the finest military members I've ever served with. Absolute dedication and discipline. I watched a handful practice doing ironman prep in the middle east. They'd put in a marathon on the treadmill and over 100 miles on the stationary bike. Fucking ironman training in a shitty little room in the middle east. No excuse, just focus. Total peak fitness. Could run circles around our guys doing curls for the girls. It's unfortunate they aren't given more respect. By your reasoning, your military isn't too big. Thus you've got no excuse for it to be a group you view as an underclass. Instead it seems self-created.
I could say it's the same way Canadians view their soldiers in general.
 
Jan 21, 2015
3,255
6,074
Murdering people because your bosses told you to I'm guessing is not very good for the psyche/soul. How could that not haunt you/drive you to suicide or to an inability to function 'normally'?

Being in the Military and standing on guard for your country and making shit work and stay safe is one thing.
Invading/occupying foreign lands and killing the locals for god knows why and having that blood on your hands is another.