U.S. Army Releases June Suicide Data

By Gilbert Mercier, NEWS JUNKIE POST

Today, the US Army released suicide data for the month of June. Among active-duty soldiers there were no confirmed suicides and nine potential ones. In May, the Army reported one confirmed suicide and 16 potential suicides. Since that time seven have been confirmed and nine remain under investigation.

So far, there have been 88 reported active-duty suicides in the Army for 2009. Of these, 54 have been confirmed, and 34 are pending determination of the cause of death. For the same period in 2008, there were 67 confirmed suicides.

During June 2009, among reserve soldiers not on active duty, there were no confirmed suicide and two potential suicides. To date, among that same group there have been 16 confirmed suicides and 23 potential suicides currently under investigation. For the same period in 2008, there were 29 confirmed suicides among reserve soldiers not on active duty.

The Director of the Army Suicide Prevention Task Force, Brigadier General Colleen McGuire stated:

“Every soldier suicide is different and tragic in its own way. Our current research and prevention efforts are identifying common denominators that lead soldiers to take their own life. It is often the combination of many factors that overwhelm an individual. Although suicide can impact anyone, we are finding that male soldiers, in combat-arms occupational specialties, between the age of 18 and 27 are more vulnerable. That is why we are looking at existing programs & other institutional safety nets to see what works, and what need to be changed to enhance the support network of trained leaders and behavioral health-care who can identify and treat risk factors before young soldiers get to the point where they feel there is no way out.”