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Grieving families forgotten

The families of nearly all service members who die in Iraq or Afghanistan, whether they are killed in action or die of non-combat injuries or illnesses, receive a letter of condolence from Defense Secretary Robert Gates.

Gates deserves commendation for the time and care he takes with these personal notes, which express gratitude for the service of the deceased and the sacrifices of the family.

But one group of families does not receive such letters: the families of troops who die by their own hand in the war zones.

Pentagon officials explain that there is no official policy to exclude the families of suicide victims; it’s simply the way it’s always been done — “going back years, if not decades,” Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell said in a December news conference.

That is no excuse for ignoring the pain of these families’ loss, which they feel no less keenly than do families of troops killed in action.

Failing to give official thanks to these families furthers the harmful belief, already too ingrained in military culture, that troops who develop mental health problems in combat are somehow weak, their service somehow tainted.

The suicide rate is at a record high in the military. That suggests troops are struggling to cope with truly extraordinary levels of stress.

Giving condolence letters to the families of suicide victims would send a powerful message of support and serve as a signal that the service of their loved ones was as valued and honorable as the service of those who died in combat.

The defense secretary should show the same compassion to all families who sacrifice a loved one in wartime service to their country, no matter how they die.