Shaw Air Force Base Will Pause Operations

[Centermass]

This will be in response to address a recent epidemic of suicides.

As of the end of July, 79 suicides had occurred in the Air Force in 2019 — nearly as many as were recorded last year in about half the time, according to the Air Force Times. The branch saw about 100 suicides per year in each of the past five years.

But this year is different, and the Air Force’s top brass is concerned that 2019 could be the deadliest yet when it comes to suicides. The stats have even caused the branch to cease operations at every one of their bases sometime this summer to reflect on how they can do better.

“We lose more airmen to suicide than any other single enemy, even more than combat,” Kaleth Wright, chief master sergeant of the Air Force, said in a video earlier this month. “If we don’t do something, we could lose up to 150, 160 airmen in 2019.”


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[Gunz]

Very sad.

Still, not out of proportion with civilian suicide rate for men of military age. But the increase is certainly troubling.

Look, I know I hit on post-war come-down in the ranks quite a bit, having experienced it in the years after VN, but I really think it's a contributing factor with military suicides, dicipline/ethical problems, drug/alcohol abuse in the services.