My husband was an officer in the Navy.
Just the military lifestyle alone nearly drove him to suicide. Those numbers aren't surprising at all.
A lot of people with issues are drawn to the military for lots of different reasons. Some thrive and some are thrown into a tailspin, depending on how the lifestyle affects them and the length of the term they signed up for. When you're depressed and hopeless and staring down at least 4 more years of hell, suicide can look really good.
Going across as a contractor is another barrel of fish, because you're not indentured for years of service. You don't like it? Get out. If you do, you can stay as long as you want. Yeah, you might see some bad shit, but at least you're unlikely to be stuck in that situation for long.
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