Suicide Deaths Among Active Duty US Troops Highest in Years

With the US Army refusing to reveal the number of suicides among its ranks in the fourth quarter of last year, a total of 286 active-duty US military personnel committed suicide last year, according to a report by Military.com.

The number included 57 Marines, 68 navy sailors, 58 airmen and, through October 1, 103 Army soldiers.

The report warned that the number could equal the highest-ever annual record, 321 suicide deaths in 2012, or even exceed it if the Army agrees to disclose the full statistics.

The high number shows the challenge that the Pentagon and US military services continue to face despite having instituted numerous programs to awareness about suicide and promote prevention.

In his 2019 guidance to Marines released last week, Marine Corps Commandant General Robert Neller warned his forces against committing suicide as a solution to solve their mental issues, urging them to think about the lasting impact of a "permanent solution to a temporary problem".

"We pride ourselves on building tough, resilient, mission-focused Marines, but we also pride ourselves on taking care of our own. ... While there is no dishonor in coming up short or needing help, there is no honor in quitting. MARINES NEVER QUIT ON EACH OTHER!" Neller wrote.

The 57 cases of suicide among active-duty Marines represented a 25-percent increase from 2017. It was also the highest suicide deaths since the service seriously began tracking such cases in 2001.

Separately, the Marine Corps also reported 18 suicide deaths among its Reserve members in 2018, almost equaling the all-time high number of 19 suicide deaths of reservists in 2016.

The number of Navy suicides also increased from 65 in 2017 to 68 a year later, meaning that the adjusted rate was more than 20 deaths per 100,000. That’s far more higher compared to five years ago, when the number stood at 12 deaths per 100,000 service members.

The Navy is the only service that publishes its data, including calculated suicide rates, online.

The US Air Force officials was the only branch to report a slight decrease --- 58 active-duty airmen compared to 63 in 2015 and 2017, and 61 in 2016.

Brigadier General Michael Martin, director of Air Force Integrated Resilience, admitted that the numbers were still troubling.

"We are not satisfied with flat-lined suicide death numbers. The Air Force is dedicated to a comprehensive, leadership-driven strategy with the ultimate goal of supporting airmen and their families early with a robust network and never losing another airman to suicide," he stated in a statement.

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