Suicides in the US army surged to a record 349 last year, far exceeding American combat deaths in Afghanistan. Pentagon figures show that the 349 suicides among active-duty troops last year were up 15 percent from the year before and exceeded the Pentagon’s own internal projection of 325.
Military suicides began rising in 2006 and soared to a then-record 310 in 2009 before leveling off for two years. The Pentagon has struggled to deal with the suicides, which US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and others have called an epidemic. Military researchers say two main categories of troops face accelerating suicide rates.
They are Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans suffering from depression, post-traumatic stress or substance abuse, and those who have not gone to war but face troubled personal relationships, money problems or legal woes. US officials say they are committed to pursuing ways of finding help for service members in trouble.