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Fewer stressors may help

When it comes to suicides among large groups of people — whether it’s college kids or, in this case, Marines — rarely do investigators find a single, unifying reason.

That holds true for the 41 Marines, a rifle platoon’s worth, who killed themselves in 2008. More than three times that many attempted suicide.

Suicides are up in the other services, too. For the Corps, it was the worst year in more than a decade for self-inflicted deaths and suicide attempts.

Leaders responded by ordering suicide prevention training for every Marine by the end of this month. That is the tried-and-true “safety standdown” mentality, but it’s not enough.

Marines already attend mandatory suicide prevention training each year. the issue is more than just a lack of awareness. Consider the state of the Corps:

• Many Marines and their families are burned out by back-to-back-to-back war deployments.

• dwell time remains at an average of just seven months home for every seven months deployed.

• The economy is in crisis and even for Marines, with the job security they enjoy, the slump hurts because it hurts spouses, parents and friends.

• Motorcycle deaths spiked in 2008, too.

At the same time, the Corps has been micro-managing Marines in recent years to a degree one would not expect to see during wartime — cracking down on tattoos, banning errands while in cammies and implementing even tougher fitness and appearance standards.

With the worries of repeat deployments and an economy in crisis, Marine leaders need to carefully consider whether any initiative needlessly adds to the stress levels. Where possible, dial back on those already implemented and hold off on those under consideration.

No one thing is to blame, but the cumulative effect of a thousand stresses isn’t helping.