HOW MILITARY INACTION HAS Brothers
And while many of the victims suffered depression, anxiety or post traumatic stress disorder, none had spoken about suicide in the weeks before their deaths.
Billy MacLeod, founder of the charity Veterans in Action, said: “How many more deaths will there be before the MoD acts?
“There is a generation of older soldiers not accessing help as they think it will end their careers. MoD officials are in denial.
“The phone line is a good start but more needs to be done, yet it will cost money and they don’t want that.”
Riflemen Jarryd and David became close as they travelled the world on exercises. Jarryd was a three-times winner of the Armed Fo r c e s body boarding championships and David was described by colleagues as a “decent and honest” bloke.
Both died within 18 months of leaving the Army, but neither had sought help from military mental health charities.
Jarryd, of Redruth, Cornwall, was known to be struggling with anxiety, but none of his family feared he might take his own life.
Joe Collinson, who served in the same battalion as the two soldiers, said he was shocked by the deaths.
Joe left the Army in 2013 after serving in Iraq and Afghanistan and has since been diagnosed with a form of PTSD. He said: “Jarryd was one of the lads, he fitted in quickly and got on with everyone. It’s shocking to think someone like him got to a point where he committed suicide. I think a lot of soldiers bottle up emotions.”
Wade Dixon, a former colleague of the two ex- soldiers, said of David’s death on his Facebook page: “Very saddened to hear another Rifleman has been taken from us. Even harder to have two taken the same way in a matter of months.”
And Phil Hopkinson, also in the same training platoon as Jarryd and David, described their deaths as “awful news”. Another colleague added that David had developed emotional problems after he left the Army and felt vulnerable and isolated.
A number of other veterans have died in recent months. They include Royal Engineers Warrant Officer Nathan Hunt, 39, who served with