MAKING A 'WARRIOR CALL' TO HELP OVERCOME ISOLATION,MITIGATE SUICIDE

摘要

"The findings are troubling," Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in response to a September report on the shocking number of military suicides. "Suicide rates among our service members and military families are still too high, and the trends are not going in the right direction." The defense chief- and all Americans - have plenty of reason for concern. Suicides in the armed forces jumped by 15 percent in 2020 - from 504 suicides in 2019 to 580 the following year, with USA Today recently reporting that suicides are particularly pronounced at Camp Lejeune, Fort Bragg and Fort Carson. And then there are the nation's veterans. More U.S. veterans have died by suicide in the last 10 years than service members who died from combat in Vietnam. The suicide rate for post-9/11 vets is especially high. And compared with civilians, the rate for veteran suicides is far greater. Numerous administrations have tried to arrest the tragic trends through stepped-up programs. Some positive signs are emerging. For example, the suicide rate among veterans fell modestly in 2020, for the first time in years.