Military Suicides

In 1987, Suicidal Tendencies released an album with a song called “Join the Army”. This ‘whimsical title’ is very relational to my thoughts today. USA Today released this article last Thursday:

http://www.usatoday.com/news/military/story/2012-08-09/army-suicides/57096238/1

I sincerely hope that you will take the time to read this article before proceeding further, but I must be rational. I know that not everyone will. So, I am going to only share this one particular quote with you from above:

“Suicides have increased across the military, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta told Congress last month. He said service members of all branches are killing themselves at the rate of about one per day. ‘That is an epidemic,’ he testified. ‘Something's wrong.’”

            Something is VERY wrong, sir. According to another study conducted by the Defense Department staff of USA Today, suicides are only second to being killed in combat and is listed above traffic accidents. I have personally experienced losing someone to suicide while I served on my ship in San Diego. She was the Chief Master-at-Arms, which in civilian terms would be similar to the sheriff of the ship. I remember that day very vividly in my mind. The strong-arm of the ship, the main person that maintained order was gone. She was a beautiful woman with an illustrious career in the Navy…and a demon that would not stop taunting her until she saw no other way out. Today, I was watching a YouTube video of Bill Cosby on the subject of education (I strongly recommend his book Come On People by the way) and at the end of his speech he said, “This truancy has to stop…Quit waiting for somebody’s funeral.”  Collins English Dictionary, 10th Edition defines truancy as follows:

 

Noun:

1. A student who stays away from school without permission.

2. A person who shirks or neglects his or her duty.

 Adjective:

3. Absent from school without permission.

4. Neglectful of duty or responsibility; idle.

 

You may have noticed that I typed out the second noun and the second adjective in bold text. Bill Cosby may be referencing lax education, but this can also be a callous warning. I remember sitting in a coffee shop with my campus minister recently (we shall call him Edin) and we talked about how we, as a nation, are notorious for applauding our troops upon their return and thanking them for their service. Edin pointed out that this is especially true in the church. But, is that as far as we extend our gratitude? Is there a missing fragment in this equation? Are we avoiding giving soldiers and veterans a shoulder to cry on when they return to American soil?

If it were up to me, The Wounded Warrior or The Wounded Woman by Dr. Steve Stephens would fall into the hands of every soldier, sailor, marine and airmen in our military, especially those returning from a deployment. Perhaps, even Enemies of the Heart by Andy Stanley should start to enter the picture. We can no longer be idle in the lives of our militant neighbors, friends! This epidemic is not going to go away with a “suck it up” mentality. We can no longer be intimidated by a lack of understanding of what they go through. TALK TO THESE MEN AND WOMEN! Let them feel so comfortable in your home that they tell you about how not a night goes by that they don’t awaken from a nightmare in an overpowering sweat. It is time that the curtain is drawn back, and we lovingly intervene. They need to know how loved they are by the Father, their family and neighbor, and see as A.W. Tozer once said, “An infinite God can give all of Himself to each of His children. He does not distribute Himself that each may have a part, but to each one He gives all of Himself as fully as if there were no others.”