US SecDef Austin approves measures to curb rising military suicides
3 Min Read
The suggestions come after the Suicide Prevention and Response Independent Review Committee (SPRIRC) conducted more than 2,700 interviews with service members and civilian staff at 11 US military bases.
-
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington on September 16, 2015. (AP)
According to the Pentagon on Thursday, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has approved more than 100 measures and recommendations in an effort to stop US military suicides.
One of those measures includes improved gun safety on bases.
The suggestions come after the Suicide Prevention and Response Independent Review Committee (SPRIRC) conducted more than 2,700 interviews with service members and civilian staff at 11 US military bases.
In May, as a result of rising suicide rates in the US Army, the Pentagon took the initiative to enforce a law that requires the provision of mental health services for troops seeking help, called The Brandon Act.
Suicide among the ranks of the #US military is on the rise, as the many wars and invasions the country launches take a toll on its troops. pic.twitter.com/JKaV5lwu9O
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) June 1, 2022
Passed into law as part of the 2022 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), the act was signed by Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness Gilbert Cisneros, and it allows service members and active-duty troops to ask for help confidentially outside the chain of command.
The Pentagon reported that more than 500 servicemembers and 200 of their dependents committed suicide in 2021.
In a memo, Austin wrote that the US loses soldiers "every day".
70% of military members use guns to commit suicide
"All of us in the Defense Department need to do more to prevent these tragedies," he asserted in the September 26 document.
Five major categories are encompassed in the measures, including quality of life enhancement, mental health services improvement, addressing stigma related to seeking help, changing suicide prevention training, and finally improving gun safety.
According to the memo by Austin, practices of secure storage for firearms "have been proven to save lives," since 70% of members who commit suicide use firearms.
Early information from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicates that the number of suicides in the #US in the past year surpassed all previous records. pic.twitter.com/kFFzIcScv1
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) August 21, 2023
The military will implement measures such as offering incentives for personnel to acquire secure gun storage, integrating safe storage content in firearms proficiency training, and providing extra storage alternatives on bases.
Other gun-related suggestions, such as waiting periods for the purchase of firearms and ammunition on Department of Defense property, as well as raising the minimum age for both to 25 years old, were not accepted.
Elizabeth Foster, the executive director of the Office of Force Resiliency, told reporters that there were "significant legal barriers" that came with raising the age.
In early September, a new study by national nonprofit America's Warrior Partnership (AWP) in cooperation with the Department of Defense and the University of Alabama indicated that US states may be underestimating the number of veteran deaths due to suicide at 25% error rate.
