The social and human costs of U.S. wars and military policies are coming due. The New York Times reported that “Active-Duty Soldiers Take Their Own Lives at Record Rate”:
Suicides among active-duty soldiers hit another record high in 2011, Army officials said on Thursday, although there was a slight decrease if nonmobilized Reserve and National Guard troops were included in the calculation.
A Disturbing Trend
The Army also reported a sharp increase, nearly 30 percent, in violent sex crimes last year by active-duty troops. More than half of the victims were active-duty female soldiers ages 18 to 21.