Army Goes Interactive Against Suicide

[unhappycamper]

Army Goes Interactive Against Suicide
March 05, 2009
Virginian-Pilot

FORT EUSTIS -- In the midst of fighting two wars abroad, the Army faces a sobering battle in its ranks: preventing its soldiers from killing themselves.

Last year, 128 soldiers committed suicide - the most since the Army began keeping statistics in 1980.

This year could be just as deadly. Army officials reported 24 suspected suicides in January, according to an Army spokeswoman. If each death is found to be self-inflicted, January would mark the first month since the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan began in which more soldiers killed themselves than were killed in combat.

Local Army installations haven't experienced an increase - since 2003, two soldiers stationed at either Fort Eustis in Newport News or Fort Story in Virginia Beach have taken their own lives. None have killed themselves while deployed, and 96 soldiers made suicide gestures or attempts over the past six years.

But like Army installations around the world, they're wrapping up a month of mandatory suicide prevention training.


Rest of article at: http://www.military.com/news/article/March-2009/army-goes-interactive-against-suicide.html?col=1186032310810