U.S. Army Suicides at a Record High

The suicide rate among U.S. soldiers is nearly at a record high, according to news released last week. Last year, 115 soldiers committed suicide, and there are likely to be more this year.

Although several proximate causes have been cited, such as unemployment (following return from deployment) and family stresses, the underlying cause of the increase is repeated deployments, as the Army acknowledges Army Secretary Pete Geren said the military was fully aware that repeated deployment was the cause of higher levels of distress and anxiety for soldiers and their relatives. "The Army is committed to ensuring that all soldiers and their families receive the behavioral health care they need," Geren promised. ^{(U.S.Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Stacy L. Pearsall)}