Source: Army Times
Published: Thursday 23 February, 2012
As many as 16 soldiers killed themselves in January, the Army announced on Wednesday in a grim start to the year.
The Army reported 278 suicides in the active force, National Guard and Reserve in 2011. That number represents a nearly 10 percent decrease from the previous year and the first decline in four years.
However, within that total, the number of active-duty soldier suicides reached an all-time high of 164, five more than 2010 and two more than 2009, even as the service continues to battle — and make headway against — high-risk behavior among soldiers as part of its multifaceted effort to drive down the number of soldier suicides.
Of the 16 suspected suicides in January, five have been confirmed and the others remain under investigation.
Among Guard and Reserve soldiers who were not on active duty, six were suspected suicides. All six deaths — five Guard soldiers and one Reserve soldier — remain under investigation.
“With our Army in significant transition, our leadership at all levels is engaged to synchronize our efforts to improve the health and discipline of the force and the well-being of our Army families,” Lt. Gen. Thomas Bostick, the deputy chief of staff for personnel (G-1), said in a statement. “I am encouraged by the 2011 Army suicide data that reflect a slight decrease in suicides … however many challenges lie ahead, which we must tackle together.”