Home 
Crisis Issues Military Suicides: A Shift in Policy
Crisis Issues Military Suicides: A Shift in Policy
Wednesday, 06 July 2011 16:17 | Author: Flame Think, Inc. | 
Flame Think, Inc. wishes to inform our readers that President Barack Obama announced Wednesday (6 July 2011) he will now send condolence letters to the families of service members who committed suicide while in combat, reversing a long-standing policy.
The commander-in-chief added that he consulted with Secretary of Defense Panetta and other military leaders. He said he didn't make the decision "lightly," and it was a "difficult and exhaustive review of the former policy."
Within the military, issues of mental health problems have been a complicated issue, which our military has long been accused of downplaying; however, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have seen suicide rates increased to all time highs (there were more military suicides in 2010 than in any year since the Civil War when the military first began reporting them) forcing renewed emphasis on the subject.
The commander-in-chief said he didn't make the decision "lightly," and it was a "difficult and exhaustive review of the former policy."
President Obama commented: "I've been committed to removing the stigma associated with the unseen wounds of war, which is why I've worked to expand our mental health budgets, and ensure that all our men and women in uniform receive the care they need."
