Suicide Rate in Army at 26-Year High

"Ninety-nine U.S. soldiers killed themselves last year, the highest rate of suicide in the Army in 26 years of record keeping, a new report says. Nearly a third of soldiers who committed suicide did so while serving in Iraq or Afghanistan , according to a report released Thursday. Iraq accounted for the overwhelming number -- with 27 of the suicides coming from that conflict and three from Afghanistan . Also, there were 948 attempted suicides, officials said, adding that they didn't have a comparison for previous years." One young soldier with whom I have recently spoken, currently deployed in Iraq , has told me of the growing feeling of despair among the troops, as more soldiers have begun to realize that they are mere pawns in the current government's destruction of the principles of freedom they thought they were fighting honorably to protect. Many feel betrayed at the thought that so many lives have been wasted for the sake of political power and war profiteering. I will wait breathlessly to see if that is included in September's "surge report."