Suicides across the military dropped by more than 15 percent last year, but new detailed data reveals an increase in the number of Army National Guard and Reserve soldiers who took their own lives, says the Associated Press. The numbers suggest that prevention programs and new efforts to identify troops at risk may be taking hold after several years of escalating suicides. But the increase among Army National Guard and Reserve members raises new questions.
Army National Guard and Reserve suicides increased from 140 in 2012 to 152 last year. There were 151 active duty soldier suicides last year, compared with 185 in 2012, Army officials said. The Pentagon plans to release its own report Friday on military suicides. According to the four military services, there were 289 suicides among active duty troops in 2013, down from 343 in 2012. The vast majority were in the Army, the nation’s largest military service. The Navy saw a 25 percent decline, from 59 in 2012 to 44 in 2013. The Marines went from 48 to 45, while the Air Force went from 51 to 49.