Certainly wouldn’t expect that out of someone who spent 29 years in the AF.
That’s pretty common really. Military folk commit suicide at a higher rate.
29 years in and then readjusting to civilian life, marriage falling apart, probably job issues (not exactly something a 29 year in guy would have ever dealt with)...
And let’s not forget all that rah-rah America is great stuff that was probably ingrained and completely shattered outside the shelter of military life... America is (honestly) fairly screwed up these days.
Still wonderful opportunities and most of us live the lives of Kings compared to many on the planet, but the society tries to constantly tell you that you need more, you need to do more, etc.
I can see it as common in this case. Usually suicide only and not murder-suicide though. That part is tragic.
Having lost a brother in law to suicide under similar circumstances but less military service, same attitude though and thought processes even as a civilian, it’s severely disappointing but not surprising.
There’s a lot of self-sufficiency training that never goes away, but nobody tells them they can only be trained like that inside the protected walls of a job that never goes away, and the “brothers” they always counted on, aren’t (to them) easily accessible anymore.
If I had to place bets I’d wager big money alcohol was also heavily involved.
And no support structure. The most isolate you make an ex-military person feel, the more they feel a need to take action. It’s just part of the training. It never goes away.
In this case the wrong action. Very wrong.
Even after losing my brother in law I still maintain that if someone makes that decision that it’s theirs and theirs alone.
When they take out the rest of the family, I get angry about that, but I’m not angry about his personal decision. Or my brother in law’s.
Live or die, your choice. Just leave mom and the kids alone, asshat. That “they’ll be better off dead if I’m gone” crap doesn’t fly with me.
