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Podcasts Take Two
What role do life insurance payouts play in military suicides?
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Sep 9, 2013
Listen • 5:23
What role do life insurance payouts play in military suicides?
Last year, 352 active duty service members took their own lives, a number more than double the number a decade ago. Some are starting to wonder if life insurance payouts have anything to do with this up-tick in suicides.
A US Army soldier attached to 2nd platoon, C troop, 1st Squadron (Airborne) ,91st U.S Cavalry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team operating under the NATO sponsored International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) patrols near Baraki Barak base in Logar Province, on October 13, 2012. NATO has insisted that there was no move towards a speedier withdrawal from Afghanistan despite recent setbacks, including deadly insider attacks, as the alliance prepared for its post-2014 role.
A US Army soldier attached to 2nd platoon, C troop, 1st Squadron (Airborne) ,91st U.S Cavalry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team operating under the NATO sponsored International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) patrols near Baraki Barak base in Logar Province, on October 13, 2012.
(
MUNIR UZ ZAMAN/AFP/Getty Images
)

Last year, 352 active duty service members took their own lives, a number more than double the number a decade ago. Some are starting to wonder if life insurance payouts have anything to do with this up-tick in suicides.

Last year, 352 active duty service members took their own lives, a number more than double the number a decade ago. Some are starting to wonder if life insurance payouts have anything to do with this up-tick in suicides.

Reporter Alan Zarembo wrote about this for the L.A. Times and he joins me now.