Blog post

DOD Releases July Suicide Data
Posted by Bryan Maxwell on September 7 2010

Recently, the Army released its suicide totals for the month of July. Among active duty servicemembers, there were 12 potential suicides with 3 confirmed and 9 remaining under investigation.  Among the non-activated reserve component, there were 15 potential suicides. For the month of July, the Marine Corps reported 6 suspected suicides and 7 attempts, approaching a near record pace after only 1 reported suicide in June.   Since the start of the war, there have been a total of 252 confirmed suicides among all branches of service in theater in Iraq and Afghanistan. There are far more among the military and veteran population as a whole, many of which are unknown or go unreported. Untreated psychological injuries have pushed many troops and veterans to take their own lives.    In the wake of last month’s record high suicide rates, the Pentagon released its Army Health Promotion, Risk Reduction and Suicide Prevention Report designed to address the Army’s alarming suicide numbers. The Pentagon determined that a soldier’s risky behavior and commander’s lack of accountability were prime reasons for the high suicide rates.     To end the suicide epidemic, IAVA continues to call on the VA and DOD to address this problem.  We need a nationwide campaign to combat suicide and promote the use of DOD and VA services such as Vet Centers and the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. The Army’s recent report sheds light on the issue, but until there is a national campaign targeting every servicemember and veteran, many will continue to fall through the cracks.