Will try to articulate on here the best I can.

1. Is this a product of the changes in society and the Army culture. The way everything has gone politically correct, participation ribbons, etc... A lot of soldiers today do not know how to cope with the stresses put upon them? The change in Army culture that has reduce many of the stresses most of us older soldiers endured that made us stronger, mentally and physically. How does this relate?

2. Is this a product of lowering the entry standards into the Army?

3. Another way the Army culture has changed is in cohesion. Not on a professional level, but a personal level. Some years ago when in the Infantry, on Friday and Saturday nights we basically went out as a Company sized element. Everyone living in the barracks went out together, and at minimum a Platoon size. We all knew each other on and off duty. Over the years this has dwindled drastically into clicks of 3-4 soldiers.

4. Another possibility is as leaders get younger and younger through mandatory promotions, how many have the life experience and maturity to deal with their soldiers problems or to identify them? The Army training video showed this exact issue. The SL telling him to pull his weight, that he wasn't depressed and basically needed to get his sh*t together.

5. What role does a zero defect environment play?

There is an infinite number of variables to take into account.

IMO after sitting through the mandatory suicide training, I came away with a mixed review. Probably one of the better products the Army has produced in some time. The things missing was the teaching point of how to deal with issues, especially those back home. Many leaders and soldiers learn those things only after having dealt with it before.

Through experience I can attest to ones culture being a factor. 1st generation citizen fails a difficult course, comes back gets a DUI, hasn't been with the unit long, thinks his life is over, commits suicide over the weekend.