Army orders service-wide suicide prevention day

Family members at a funeral for Capt. Michael McCaddon, who killed himself in March. / Gloucester Daily Times

(CBS/AP) WASHINGTON - In a service-wide "stand down," the Army has ordered soldiers to put aside their usual duties Thursday and spend the day on suicide prevention training as the military struggles with a spike in the number of self-inflicted deaths this year.

The plan will focus on making sure that troops know what behavioral health programs are available to them and helping them get over the embarrassment that keeps many from seeking help.

There are limited exceptions to Thursday's stand down: Troops with duties such as combat operations in Afghanistan or medical duties in Army hospitals will schedule their training when possible.

"The Army has decided that this issue is so important to us that we're going to devote an entire day ... that was otherwise devoted to something else and say `That's not as important as this,"' the Army's top enlisted man, Sgt. Maj. Raymond Chandler, told a news conference Wednesday.

The Army is the largest of the services, it has the highest number of suicides, and it is the only branch planning the special training Thursday.

For the first seven months of 2012, the Army recorded 116 suicides among active-duty soldiers, officials reported last month. If that pace were maintained through December, the year's total would approach 200, compared with 167 total in 2011.

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Suicidal behavior in the military is thought to be related to cumulative stress from combat duty as troops fought two simultaneous wars over the past decade. It also is believed linked to a range of other pressures such as marital and financial problems and health issues.

Still, military and defense leaders have been puzzled by the rise after years of working to blunt the problem with new programs such as a regime of resilience training starting at boot camp and the hiring of more psychiatrists and other mental health workers. So far this year the number of suicides in the military has surged beyond expectations, given that the pace of combat deployments has begun to slow and that rates were leveling off for two previous years. Suicides also are rising in the civilian population, officials said.

"The nation has asked our soldiers to carry a heavy load over the last 11 years, and they have not failed," Chandler said. "But suicide is an enemy we have yet to defeat."

He said the ultimate goal is to "change the mindset across the force and society at large to see behavioral health as a routine part of what we do and who we are as we strive to maintain our physical and mental wellness."

Troops in Europe held their training Sept. 20 because of other previously scheduled training they have Thursday. Activities included discussions and use of Facebook for an exchange of ideas. Other activities commanders might use can "be as basic as a terrain walk," Chandler said, in which a leader takes his subordinates to locations where care is given and they meet the professionals who are providing treatment.

"It's about reducing stigma, building trust and making soldiers aware of programs out there," he said.

The day's activities are also open to troops' families as well as the department's civilian employees.

(Below, watch CBS News correspondent David Martin's report on the spike in suicides in the Army this year.)

[dave57heyl]

The awareness is growing not as fast as the need. Suicides have become one of our country's worst enemy. Depression and suicide are at epidemic proportions! It's not as easy to point our finger at one event or circumstance and say this is the cause of increase suicides. I lost an 81 year old relative to suicide because our family doctor told him he couldn't drive anymore due to medical reasons. Was it the doctor's fault? I think not... depression and mental illness was the root of the problem. Unfortunately we did not see it or understand the problem. Let's help those who suffer from depression and thoughts of suicide... milary and civilian! www.dontjumpitsonlyabump.com

[CBS_Account]

Mr. Martin, and CBS, you may be interested in this story. Originally done by the Dallas Morning News, and picked up by Stars and Stripes. http://www.stripes.com/news/us/a-year-later-texas-soldier-s-suicide-still-haunts-her-mother-1.189561#.UFdwmAOy5hw.facebook

[BlueMountainCounselor]

Glad to see increased attention to this critical issue. It is important to note that there are now, and have been, thousands of licensed counselors available to provide services in the U.S.. Unfortunately, our legislature has been slow to act on re-writing antiquated rules which bars many qualified practitioners from providing service to military members.

[Lerianis4]

Here is a way to stop the suicides: Get us the hell out of Afghanistan! Stop trying to beat the war drums with Iran!
Start using diplomacy instead of bombs when you have a problem with something that a foreign nation is doing!

I mean, what the **** do you expect to happen when you are or were in two wars that most Americans who have IQ's over 80 say were MISTAKES entirely or that we stayed too long in that country.