European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - January 25, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 6 the stars and stripes saturday january 25, 19b6 air Force suicide rate up dramatically report says by Ciuck Vinch \v4shlnglan Bureau Washington the suicide rate for air Force personnel a Ciucci the i Wiuf 30 and of has More than tripled since \w2, according i a recent study. The suicide Nizic fur inc 20-24 dec group increased from  per  permit in i9�j to 1u.j per he in 0 in i v. I ill 1 lie rate fit i my 2 j-2 j use group went from 4.2 per  to  per kh1.ixx. I i Mlina to the study Sui cide inn up Acrivi duly  suicide is Ilic a hire a iding Anise of death among air Force members. Behind Mimas vehicle and aircraft Nocei tic Elk. I he study stilted. The study was done by Charles p. Mcdowell. Command crime adviser for inc air Force office of special Ines Iii Thiim. To said the increase in he suicide rate has been dramatic enough to provide cause for very serious concern especially in Light a Floc fad that 63 percent of the air Force population Falls within the 20-29 age group. Mcdowell s study contradicts findings published in july i9h5 by the health studies task Force of the office of inc insist n m Secretary of defense for health affairs thai study reported that Dod wide suicide rates As Well As those fur the air Force have been declining for several years and Hal suicide is not a major problem among us tic duly  authors of both is Udics declined to discuss the discrepancy saying they had not seen each other s Daia. However Mcdowell said he used actual Case files. The Lask Force used Datu from the Dod casually reporting system. Mcdowell s Ripon Analysed the 207 air Force suicides that occurred bal when july 1982 and october 1985 Anil compared hem with information contained in an earlier report i hit examined air Force suicides Between january 1979 and june 1982. According to Mcdowell s analysis the typical air Force suicide victim is a 22-year-old senior airman hav ing troubles with his wife or Girlfriend he May have a drinking problem and his duty performance will be suffering he said. He will discuss his problems with someone at work implying that death May be the Best Way out. Of no intervention is forthcoming he will shoot himself in inc head with a  Mcdowell s study offered no reason for the increase in inc suicide Rule. I m very put led by that he said. Why the rate is increasing remains a question for addition no  Mcdowell s study indicated thai difficulties in person Al relationships  and emotional problems and environmental stress were the three leading background factors in Suici incidents. Perhaps inc most consistent theme a is difficulty with one s love object Mcdowell said. In 49 percent of the cases inc victim wat experiencing significant Mari lat stress. Another 20 percent involved significant  intimate relationships a Suid. Severe mental or emotional problems seemed to be a Factor in 39 percent of the suicides. Other factors included financial problems Jub  diff Cullis and alcohol and drug abuse problem Jie said. The overwhelming majority of inc victims were deeply troubled people Many of whom were beset with multiple problems he said. Bui it s important to note that these problems were not necessarily in and of themselves the cause of the suicide. For example marital problems frequently grew put of an immature approach to family responsibilities. These problems were compounded by ineffective at tempts to escape which led to financial difficulties these in turn led to problems at work. The cumulative effect further damaged the victim s intimate relationships and increased the pressure to escape. Viewed in this Light suicide is often simply the final phase of an inability to Cope Wilh life s pressures. For these  suicide was apparently seen its their Best if not Only Means of escape. He said support for that Type of scenario was present in 93 percent of the suicides studied. Mcdowell said the risk factors most frequently associated with suicide can be identified. Unfortunately these warnings go unheeded too frequently he Aid. Suicides in army Rose in 1985 Washington the number of soldiers commit Ting suicide apparently increased in 1985, according la new army statistics. Citing numbers that seem to Mirror a recent report of More air Force suicides i it. Robert Thomas said the army lost 116 Active duty soldiers to suicide in 1985. Between 1980 and 1984, the number of Active duty suicides was Between 79 and t_9 annually. However Thomas a psychologist with the office of the Deputy chief of Slaff for personnel and the army s expert on suicide said the higher numbers May be the result of new reporting procedures rather than an actual increase i suicides. A total of 19 adult dependents sin dependent children 15 army civilians and 16 others also committed suicide in1985. Although army officials arc not Yel willing to draw conclusions from he numbers they said suicide is a serious problem and prevention programs arc needed. We re hoping to encourage senders to continue to demonstrate that the army really cares about its members gliomas said. Stateside soviets Rescue 2 chicagoan after plane goes Down off Florida Klamt a two men were rescued by a soviet Lanker after their single engine plane went Down 36 mifa off Palm Beach the coast guard said. Pilot Bruno Castilliano and passenger Raymond Pant both of Chicago were in satisfactory condition tiler a Culler removed them front inc Yuliy Danishevsky wid coast guard spokesman Jim Simpson. Three coast guard vessels three helicopters and a Jet Hud searched a 1,500-Iquare-mitc area after  radioed a mayday Simpson said. The search was tailed off at Sundown. The British freighter Lockfield Hiler relayed a message from the Danishevsky that it had picked up the two men Castilliano had radioed Hiil he was having engine Trou ble just before the mayday Simpson said. Man who bulldozed House acquitted of assault charge Enumclaw Wash. A a Man who bulldozed the family Home after Bis wife hied for divorce has been acquitted of assaulting a television cameraman filming the wreckage. Raymond Kurce Kirkman 28, told the Enumclaw Muni Sipat court jury thai found him innocent hat he did t feel the destruction was something everyone else in the world should know  3w seconds i was going to be on National to lie said. I put my hand on the  Kirkman was accused of pushing Komo to Camer Aman Neil Lowe to inc ground White Lowe was filming no the scene the Day after Kirk run destroyed the House. Jurors decided Lowe and two other members of his news Crew were trespassing maliciously on Kirk Maji i property and that the Force Kirk Tan used in trying to remove item was not excessive said jury Foreman Randy Scott. Governor of Ohio announces plans to seek second term Cleveland a _ gov. Richard Celeite has formally announced in his Hometown his candidacy for re cd Calion claiming Bis administration has Laid a solid Rock foundation on which he intends to build in a second term. In remarks prepared for delivery at Cleveland s Termi Nal Tower which overlooks new Highway lakefront and other improvements the democratic governor called for the support of All ohioans in his Campaign for a second four year term. When we took out at this we realize clearly thai Ohio s Pride is Back the 48-year-old celesta said sound ing the theme he used in his slate of the state address to a. Joint session of the legislature two weeks ago. Celeste was elected in a landslide in 1982 Over Republican Clarence brawn jr., now Deputy Commerce Secretary for the re Agni administration. Suit asks court to let jews in uniform Wear Skull Cap by Ciuck Vinch Washington Bureau Washington the attorney fora former air Force Captain has asked the supreme court to waive military dress code regulations and allow orthodox jews to Wear a religious Skull Cap m uniform. The lawsuit was brought against the defense department by s. Simesha Goldman an orthodox Rubbi who was disciplined in 981 for refusing to Stop Wear ing a Yarmulke while on duly As a psychologist at March fab Calif. Wearing a yer Mulic is a religious Observance that interferes with no one else docs not harm the Public Henlly or welfare and imposes no Burden of accommodation on the air Force Nathan Locwin Goldman s attorney said in Oral arguments before the court Goldman Hod worn tic dark coloured Skullcap with out incident Between the Lime he went on Active duly in september 1977 and his participation As a witness in a court trial in april 19g i a prosecuting attorney in the trial complained to Goldman s Hospital commander about the Yarmulke. The commander reprimanded Goldman for violating the air Force dress code and threatened to court mar tial him unless he slopped wearing it. Goldman refused and brought the lawsuit. Locwin pointed Oul Hal before the reprimand Gold Man received consistently outstanding performance ratings for his work and had encountered no complaints about his Yarmulke. Goldman now in inactive Reserve Szalus has filed lawsuit to be reinstated to Active duty . Oberly a Justice department lawyer representing he air Force said any exceptions to the dress code would defeat the purpose of the code by undermining discipline and morale. She argued that while it is a Strong Well slab Lishco practice and in audion of devout orthodox jewish males to Wear a Yarmulke it is not a requirement of jewish Law and not All orthodox jews Wear them. The government s position is Hal the wearing of a yer Rilke must Rise to the level of jewish Law before capt. Goldman can claim it As a sincere religious practice that he personally follows Oberly said. Some justices also questioned the Wisdom of allow ing exemptions. Chief Justice Warren e. Burger noted a study showing there Ere 387 religious Scols in Cali fornia alone. Burger said one of Ili Osc sects prohibits the wearing of Metal buttons or Belt buckles the military is opposed to any waivers of dress code regulations because Incani Ives to seek exceptions to the code Are quite High Oberly said. She cited the Case in which the army granted an exception to a sikh allowing him to Wear the turban customary for males of his religion. Sikhs Ihnn began coming out of the Woodwork she said. It finally reached a Point where the army Conlen t see where ii was leading except to a problem of unknown dimensions and they Cut off the practice or  Locwin agreed thai inc military might have to draw the line at turbans. There is a Point where headgear could become m obtrusive that it interferes with the military mis Sion he said. If an article of clothing is so obvious and extreme that when one looks at it one sees Only it and does t see the uniform i think the military could make the determination that trial s going beyond whats  but he said that s not True of Small items  one barely notices a Yarmulke he said. Rings arc permit cd but hey must be neat and conservative. Why can t thai be applied to headgear Oberly said any deviation from the uniform require ments interferes with the military Mission by prevent ing assimilation of an incredibly diverse group of civil ians who come into the military from widely varying backgrounds and who from inc Day they arrive need to be trained and inculcated in military  the supreme court is expected to Rule on the Cas before the current Lerm ends in july