Army Works To Prevent Soldier Suicides
The U.S. Army recently released statistics revealing the highest soldier suicide rate on record: 32 deaths in June 2010.
“The rates are alarming and disappointing to us,” said Maj. Myles Caggins, a public affairs officer at Fort Bliss. “We’ve had a few suicides at Ft. Bliss but on par our rate of suicides is lower that that of the army in general and that of all El Paso.”
On Monday night, Fort Bliss soldier Robert Nichols turned a gun on himself outside his Northeast El Paso home during a standoff with police.
According to this year’s records, ABC-7 discovered it’s statistically more likely for a Fort Bliss soldier to die at his own hands than it is for that soldier to die in abroad in a war zone. Since January 1st, there have been four suspected Ft. Bliss soldier suicides. By contrast, no Fort Bliss soldiers have been killed in combat so far.
Still, Fort Bliss officials say suicide rates have decreased at the post for the past two years.
“We stand shoulder to shoulder with our soldiers to ensure that they know they can seek help without repercussions,” said Maj. Caggins. “There are resources out there for them to make good decisions.”
The army has a number of training and support programs in place to prevent soldier suicides. A new video of testimonials from soldiers who have attempted to take their own lives is available online at www.army.mil.
Related Links:Link:U.S. Army Suicide Prevention WebpageLink:Fort Bliss Soldier Kills Self In SWAT Standoff
