Military Suicides Down 22% from Record Number in 2012

As of Oct. 27, there were 245 recorded suicides of active-duty service members

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Military suicides have decreased by more than 22% so far this year with 245 suicides recorded by Defense Department officials as of Oct. 27. By the same time in 2012, there had been 316 suicides by active-duty service members.

One hundred and twenty four soldiers in the Army have committed suicide this year, along with 43 airmen, 38 sailors, and 40 Marines.

Last year, the armed forces experienced the highest number of suicides — a total of 349 — since the Pentagon began tracking the number in 2001. Officials won’t say exactly what has led to the decrease in suicides this year, but the military has increased its suicide prevention effort over the past three years. The Pentagon also increased behavioral and suicide prevention training, expanded crisis phone lines, and distributed more than 75,000 gunlocks to the armed services.

[AP]