On Aug. 16, 2007 the U. S. Army released data revealing that there were 99 suicides within the Army in 2006. Thirty of them occurred in Iraq or Afghanistan. This compares to 87 suicides in 2005 and 67 in 2004. However, when comparing the data to the suicide rate for the same age and gender group of the total U.S. population, there were approximately 19 suicides per 100,000 people in the general population versus 17.3 suicides per 100,000 soldiers.
The Army is taking steps not only to reduce suicides, but also to increase awareness about mental health issues and decrease the stigma associated with seeking mental health care. One resource readily available to military personnel, their families, and the general public is the Army's Suicide Prevention Web site.
