Alarming surge in suicide rates among US troops

A recent report from the Pentagon reveals a troubling increase in suicide rates among US troops, indicating a persistent crisis within America’s military community. In the first quarter of this year, active-duty soldiers took their own lives at a rate exceeding one per day, marking a 25% rise from the pace observed in 2022. According to the latest report from the US Department of Defense (DOD), there were 94 suicides among active-duty personnel between January and March, compared to 75 during the same period the previous year. This figure represents the highest number of military suicides recorded in any three-month span since the second quarter of 2021, when there were 97 cases. Addressing this distressing situation, the Pentagon’s Defense Suicide Prevention Office stated in the report that the DOD is fully dedicated to preventing suicides within the military community, recognizing each instance as a tragic loss of life. The prevalence of military suicides has increased significantly over the past two decades since the commencement of America’s “war on terror” following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon. In 2020, there were nearly 29 suicides per 100,000 troops, up from 17.5 a decade earlier. It is important to note that the figures provided for active-duty suicides do not include reservists or veterans. Government data indicates that approximately 17 former US troops, on average, take their own lives each day. The number of reservist suicides in the latest quarter remained unchanged from the previous year, with 41 cases reported. Analyzing the breakdown within the active-duty ranks, the report reveals a concerning 32% increase in suicides among US Army personnel during the January-March quarter, reaching a total of 49. The Marine Corps witnessed an even larger surge, with a 75% rise in suicides, amounting to 14 cases. Despite concerted efforts, the Pentagon has thus far been unsuccessful in reversing this distressing trend. In February, an advisory panel recommended various measures to address the issue, including prohibiting soldiers under the age of 25 from purchasing firearms and implementing a seven-day waiting period for ammunition sales. For the past five years, active-duty suicides have exceeded 300 annually, and the first-quarter statistics suggest that the military is on track to approach nearly 400 such deaths in 2023. Read all the Latest News , Trending News ,  Cricket News , Bollywood News , India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.