The Military and Suicide

Today is National Suicide Prevention day.  There have been 154 active-duty soldier suicides this year, one a day.  The Huffington post states that, "The 154 suicides for active-duty troops in the first 155 days of the year far outdistance the U.S. forces killed in action in Afghanistan - about 50 percent more - according to Pentagon statistics obtained." (Huffington Post)  And the rate is on the rise.  Surgeon General Regina Benjamin says that, "These deaths are especially heartbreaking because we know they are preventable." (USA Today).  And now, the government has come up with a plan to save around 20,000 lives in the coming five years.