Suicide Rate Among Army, Army Reserve, National Guard Reaches 28-Year High

The suicide rate among U.S. soldiers in 2008 rose to its highest rate since record-keeping began in 1980, the Army announced on Thursday, USA Today reports (USA Today, 1/29). At least 128 soldiers in the Army, Army Reserve and National Guard committed suicide in 2008. Army officials said that 15 deaths are still being investigated and the majority likely will be ruled suicide (Alvarez, New York Times, 1/30).

In 2007, 115 soldiers committed suicide, compared with 102 in 2006 (Jelinek/Hefling, AP/Philadelphia Inquirer, 1/30). The suicide rate was 16.8 suicides per 100,000 soldiers in 2007, 15.3 suicides per 100,000 soldiers in 2006 and 12.7 suicides per 100,000 soldiers in 2005 (Scott Tyson, Washington Post, 1/30).

The 2008 rate of about 20.2 suicides per 100,000 soldiers is higher than the 19.2 suicides per 100,000 civilians of the same demographics in 2006, the most recent data available (New York Times, 1/30). According to Army statistics, it is the first time the Army rate has surpassed the civilian rate since the Vietnam War. Although specific reasons for the rate increase were not given, officials said longer deployments were a contributing factor, with other factors including job-related difficulties and financial, personal and legal problems (New York Times, 1/30).

In related news, U.S. Marines officials on Thursday revised their suicide rate for 2008, reporting a rate of 19 suicides per 100,000 Marines, the corps' highest since 1995 (Barnes/Chong, Baltimore Sun, 1/30).

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Army Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Peter Chiarelli, who is leading suicide-prevention efforts, said "This is not business as usual," adding, "We need to move quickly to do everything we can to reverse the very disturbing number of suicides we have in the U.S. Army." He added, "We all come to the table believing that stress is a factor" (New York Times, 1/30).

Army Secretary Pete Geren said, "Why do the numbers keep going up? We can't tell you." He added that "every suicide is a crisis we take personally. This is a challenge of the highest order for us as an Army" (Washington Post, 1/30). Geren also said that the Army wants to increase its suicide prevention efforts and is prepared to allocate "human and financial" resources to do so.

Paul Rieckhoff, the executive director of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, said, "The suicide numbers ... come as no surprise to veterans who have experienced firsthand the psychological toll of war," adding, "Since the Iraq war began, suicide rates and other signs of psychological injury, like marital strain and substance abuse, have been increasing every year" (New York Times, 1/30).