U. S. World Army Suicide
2022.10.20 15:42
U. S. World Army Suicide
By Tiffany Smith
Budrigannews.com – A new Pentagon report released on Thursday stated that the rate of suicide among active duty service members decreased by more than 15% between 2020 and 2021. However, officials stated that additional time was required to determine whether this indicated a genuine change.
In recent years, the U.S. military has experienced a rash of suicides that have garnered national attention. These suicides include a cluster in Alaska, where service members are subjected to extreme cold and isolation, and among the crew members of the George Washington aircraft carrier.
While the rate decreased from 2020 to 2021, the annual report from the Pentagon found that between 2011 and 2021, there was a gradual rise in suicide rates.
Elizabeth Foster, executive director of the Pentagon’s Office of Force Resiliency, stated to reporters, “While we are cautiously encouraged by the drop in these numbers, one year is not enough time to assess real change.”
“To know if we’re making progress, we need to see a sustained, long-term reduction in suicide rates,” she added.
According to the report, the suicide rate for service members in 2021 was 24.3 per 100,000, down from 28.7 per 100,000 the year before.
Between 2020 and 2021, there was a decrease in suicide rates across all military services, with the exception of the Army.
According to the Army, while the number of suicides had gone up during that time, they had been going down in 2022.
According to the report, firearms were used in approximately 67% of suicide deaths.
