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According to the Department of National Defense and the Canadian Forces email records obtained by the Globe and Mail in 2014, at least 54 Canadian soldiers have committed suicide since returning from the Afghanistan war.

Through the Access to Information Act, it was revealed that the State Department had decided to keep secret the tally of suicides of Canadian soldiers. The data shows that in the final years of the war, which ended in 2014, suicide was a greater threat to soldiers than enemy insurgents.

In total, since Canada entered the war in late 2001, 158 Canadian soldiers died. On March 12, 2014 Canada officially ended its involvement, withdrawing the last 84 soldiers three days later.

Although information on suicides of soldiers is incomplete, the Globe and Mail investigation shows that 2002 and 2003 had no suicide deaths, 2008 and 2009 saw 8 deaths by suicide--in 2014 and 2015, 16 suicide deaths were recorded. Soldiers were dying at a rate not seen since the Korean War.

The Canadian Forces and Veterans Affairs claim that they are both committing more money and resources to suicide risk assessment and prevention. Forces spokeswoman Jessica Lamirande noted that most of the 40,000 soldiers that served in Afghanistan did not develop mental health issues.

“We have made tremendous strides in supporting military personnel who experience deployment-related mental-health conditions, such as post-traumatic stress disorder,” also known as PTSD, Ms. Lamirande says.

Yet, the Globe investigation found that despite preliminary efforts, the issue of mental health and suicide remains taboo among a military culture. And soldiers often fear reprisals to their military livelihood if they seek help. So many veterans go undiagnosed and those who do commit suicide are unknown to the general public due to stigma.

Canada funds its military substantially, with Harper’s conservative government increasing funding during his tenure. But the majority of the money goes to intervention and expansion of Canada’s military role in the Middle East, approximately $360 million out of a $390 million spent.

Defense Minister Jason Kenney says that by April 2016, the price-tag of Canada’s involvement in Iraq and Syria will be $520 million.

Finance Minister Joe Oliver voiced his reasoning for increased military spending in April, 2015, saying in a budget speech, "Our government understands the present dangers — and is determined to respond responsibly, without ambiguity or moral equivocation."

And while the issue of direct military spending should be contested, those returning from war should expect and receive care for wounds incurred during service. There can be no debate about this.

The Globe investigation found numerous cases of families who feel the military’s medical system had failed them. Case after case of utter negligence on the part of the military has been found, and the Parliament has taken few steps to amend military spending to reflect a veteran mental health crisis.

Out of 2,045 soldiers deployed to Afghanistan between 2001 and 2008, a National Defense study found that 8 percent were diagnosed with PTSD and 6 percent with depression and anxiety. Almost one-third of soldiers who served in Afghanistan sought out mental health counseling.

But the staffing of mental health professionals to the Canadian Armed Forces remains lackluster. The Globe reports that as recently as September, the Forces were still 35 clinicians short of a years-long goal of 450.

It is incomprehensible that the Canadian government continues to wage war around the world yet so grossly underserves the soldiers it employs.