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Task force: Military suicide prevention efforts inadequate

Thu, 08/26/2010 - 09:37 — Dave Culver
Section(s): 
Peace & Nonviolence

The task force describes the Defense Department's approach as a safety net riddled with holes.
The military must look at mental health and well being as part of an overall approach to fitness — one that includes social, physical, spiritual and psychological wellness.

Barbara Barrett, McClatchy Newspapers

Submitted by Evergreene Digest Contributing Editor Thomas Sklarski

A Defense Department task force devoted to preventing suicide in the military presented a grim picture of the trend Tuesday (August 24), with suicides rising at a near steady pace even as commanders apply various balms to soothe a stressed, exhausted fighting force.

The military has nearly 900 suicide prevention programs across 400 military installations worldwide, but in a report released Tuesday (August 24), the task force describes the Defense Department's approach as a safety net riddled with holes.

Last year, 309 men and women slipped through. In 2008, 267 service members committed suicide. In 2007, the number was 224.

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