by John M. Curtis
(310) 204-8700

Copyright August 16, 2007
All Rights Reserved.

elentless suicide bombing and Improvised Explosives Devices have spoiled President George W. Bush's plans for a successful “troop surge,” wishing, against all odds and logic, to gain control of Iraq. Countering the advice of former Centom and Iraq commanders Gen. John P. Abizaid and George W. Casey, who warned against more U.S. casualties, Bush placed more U.S. forces in harm's way. With longer troop deployments and U.S. commanders unable to stop deadly booby traps and suicide bombing, U.S. forces are suffering more combat stress disorders and suicides. An army report released Aug. 16 indicated that in 2006 17.3 suicides per 100,000 troops, the highest rate in 26 years. “Iraq was the most common deployment location for both (suicides) and attempts,” read the Army report, trying to get a grip on the alarming rise in self-destructive behavior in the Army.

      Army suicide rates are nearly twice the national average at about 11.1 per 100,000. Combat situations involve far greater stress, causing otherwise adjusted individuals to break down. According to the Army's report, about twice as many women serving in Iraq and Afghanistan committed suicide than did women in non-combat roles. Army officials expect suicides to decline in 2007 across the service but increase among combat-deployed troops. Failed personal relationships, financial hardship and job stress were cited in the Army report as contributory factors. All things considered equal, suicide is complex, typically involving some kind of mental illness. Army screeners don't pick up disguised types of mental illness, including borderline states, bipolar disorder and other depressions not easily recognized. Placed into combat, these conditions usually deteriorate.

      Iraq's unpredictable environment, with its IEDs and suicide bombings, adds to the intolerable stresses of guerrilla warfare. Commanders and troops can't defend against unexpected attacks, marking the nature of asymmetric warfare. “In addition, there was a significant relationship between suicide attempts and number of days deployed” in Iraq, Afghanistan or other countries involved in combat. Recruitment into the voluntary military hasn't kept pace with troop demands, requiring the Pentagon to extend and require multiple tours. More exposure to combat fatigue increases the chances of suicide by overwhelming otherwise adjusted soldiers with excessive stress. Military mental health experts are working feverishly to provide counseling to soldiers before they overdose or put guns to their heads. Yet the Army's report reveals glaring inconsistencies and contradictions.

      There's a basic disconnect when, on the one hand, the Army report admits that extended deployments increase suicidal risk, while, on the other hand, there was “limited evidence to support the view that multiple . . . deployments are a risk factor for suicidal behavior.” You can't conclude that “there was a significant relationship between suicide attempts and number of days deployed” and, at the same time, rule out multiple tours—it makes no sense. Any time you extend a soldier's exposure to combat stress you're increasing the risk of suicide and a host of other stress-related conditions, including criminal behavior, alcohol and drug abuse and other forms of mental illness. Iraq's unstoppable bombings create constant fear for soldiers deployed inside and outside combat zones. No amount of critical-incident counseling can change the dangerousness of the war zone.

      Confirming 99 suicides in 2006, the highest level since 102 in the 1991 Gulf War, indicates that Iraq's extended deployments are taking their toll. No military force can extend deployment without significant repercussions, including the full range of combat-stress-related mental disorders. When Gen. David Petraeus gives his long-awaited report in mid-Sept., the clock is ticking on the ongoing hemorrhage from extended tours-of-duty causing untold numbers of mental problems. Petraeus can't continue the same levels of deployments without catastrophic risk to the troops, already stretched to the breaking point by the exigencies of recruitment and combat. Whenever there's a lack of measurable progress, soldiers can take only so much stress until they star breaking down. Iraq's untenable guerrilla war makes the combat zone all the more stressful, leading to more mental illness and suicide.

      Admitting to the highest suicide levels in 26 years, the Army acknowledges implacable challenges going forward in Iraq and, to a lesser extent, Afghanistan. Combat troops shouldn't be placed into an untenable atmosphere where there's no way of assuring safety or eventual victory. Without admitting defeat, the Army's report indicates, if nothing else, that U.S. forces face debilitating stress in Iraq. You can't expect troops to stay healthy when they don't know from one minute to the next whether they'll be killed by suicide bombers or booby-trapped landmines. While the White House touts the success of the “troop surge,” combat troops on the ground know the intolerable conditions. No one expects war to be easy. But U.S. commanders can't place troops in a shooting gallery without adverse health-effects, including more suicides and other mental disorders.

About the Author

John M. Curtis writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news. He's editor of OnlineColumnist.com and author of Dodging The Bullet and Operation Charisma.

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