18 deaths in February were possible suicides - Army News | News from Afghanistan & Iraq - Army Times

18 deaths in February were possible suicides

As many as 18 soldiers killed themselves in February, Army officials announced March 5.

Of the 18 cases in February, two are confirmed as suicides and 16 others remain under investigation. About 90 percent of such pending cases typically are ruled suicides.

Seventeen of the soldiers were male; one was female. Of the deaths, 14 occurred in the U.S. and four overseas.

Last month’s numbers are higher than the previous February, when 11 soldiers’ deaths were confirmed as suicides.

This February’s number represents a slight drop from as many as 24 suicides in January. Of the January deaths, 12 have been confirmed as suicides and 12 are suspected.

The January total was the highest monthly toll for the Army in nearly 30 years.

In 2008, the fourth year in a row the Army has seen an increase in suicides, 138 soldier deaths were confirmed as suicides, and five other cases are under investigation.

“The culture of the Army is that of a team, and any time one of our own feels so lost that he or she sees no other option than to take his or her life, we’ve failed as a force,” Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Peter Chiarelli said March 5. “This is not business as usual. We must move quickly to address this issue.”

In the short term, the Army is nearing the end of a 30-day stand-down period, ordered by Army leaders for Feb. 15 through March 15. During that time, commanders are spending two to four hours training their soldiers on issues such as recognizing suicidal behaviors and intervention at the buddy level.

The stand-down will be followed by a suicide prevention chain-teaching program, from March 15 to June 15.

The Army also is looking at several long-range programs, Chiarelli said.

“There’s no single solution in dealing with this challenge,” he said.