Military Suicides

Nearly a decade after the United States went to war in Afghanistan and Iraq, the suicide rate among soldiers and veterans — though lower than the civilian rate — is rising sharply, leading to criticism that military leaders aren't doing enough to help service members. President Barack Obama acknowledged the severity of the problem this year when he began sending condolence letters to families of service members who commit suicide while deployed in combat zones. Scrambling to address the problem — in uncoordinated fashion, researchers say — the military has determined possible causes for the rise in suicides, including multiple deployments that leave soldiers little time at home between combat tours. Yet suicides are also rising among service members who have never deployed. The Veterans Administration (VA) is under pressure from courts and lawmakers to step up mental-health treatment. VA officials say they are doing so, but politicians and veterans’ families remain unimpressed with the efforts.