5 Steps Toward Ending Military Suicides

This month, the Department of Defense (DoD) reported a continuing increase in military suicides. Overall, suicides in the military rose 6 percent, from 493 in 2022 to 523 in 2023, with the biggest increases in the number of Army and Air Force deaths. Excluding Reservists and members of the National Guard, the increase was 10 percent, from 331 to 363. As in years past, the vast majority of military suicides were young men and involved a firearm.¹

After the report was released, military officials said that the rate of suicide rather than the number was a more accurate measure because the active-duty force had decreased in recent years. The suicide rate is based on 100,000 suicides, and often is used to account for shifting demographics. According to the DoD report, there were 1.28 million active-duty troops, 330,000 Reservists, and 430,000 members of the National Guard. This means that the suicide rate for all service members was 25.6, and for active-duty troops, it was 28.4. Nationally, the rate for the general population is 14.5.²

There are many things that the Department of Defense can do to end the number of service members who kill themselves. One relatively simple step is to ban the practice of troops taking their weapons home with them when they are off duty. In Israel, the suicide rate for men aged 20 to 24 years—a high-risk group among civilians, and higher in Israel because of mandated military service—dropped 40 percent when soldiers no longer were allowed to take their weapons home on weekends. This single change made a big difference.³

In my book The Last and Greatest Battle, I note a number of steps that the military can take to end suicides among active-duty troops, Reservists, the National Guard, and veterans. They can be boiled down to five.

1. All troops should be evaluated for suicide when they return home, not just those who ask for help. Evaluations should be in person and one-on-one, not done in a group with written questionnaires, as often has been the practice. In addition, evaluations should be conducted more than once to allow for delayed reactions. Family members should be inter­viewed as well, separately and confidentially.
2. As much training as troops receive to prepare for battle, that much training and more needs to be provided to help them reintegrate into society when their service ends. We can’t just give them pills and expect them to return to full health, as if they were tanks that only need a tune-up to function well again.
3. Treatment and benefits for veterans must be speeded up. Veterans shouldn’t have to wait a year or more to receive health care or have their claims processed.
4. The military’s policy of zero tolerance when it comes to sexual harassment has to be enforced. Women in the military are twice as likely as female civilians to be raped,⁴ with the assault often not reported because the victim is intimidated or afraid that it will derail her career. If it is reported, chances are good that the perpetrator—who might be a superior—will never be convicted, leading to an accuser’s further depression and possible suicide attempt.
5. Lastly, there is the matter of stigma. The military isn’t the only entity responsible for destigmatizing psycho­logical problems that lead some people to attempt suicide, but there are steps that the military can take. The most important one is creating a culture in which asking for help is accepted and not considered a weakness. More chaplains, more counselors, more accessibility, and more encouragement can foster individual well-being.

In 2023, an independent commission recommended that the Department of Defense implement a series of gun safety measures to reduce suicides. These included waiting periods for service members to buy firearms and ammunition on military property, raising the minimum age that service members can buy guns and ammunition to 25 years, and requiring anyone living in military housing to register all privately owned firearms. The panel noted that guns are used in two-thirds of active-duty suicides, and more than 70 percent of all suicides by National Guard and Reserve members.⁵

In the wake of the report, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin declared that dealing with suicides in the military is a priority, but the department chose not to implement any of the commission’s gun-safety recommendations. Instead, the Pentagon announced that it would “incentivize” the safe storage of firearms, provide more storage locations, and increase education on how to store guns properly. These are similar to steps that military officials have announced in the past, and which so far have proven to be ineffective in reducing military suicides.

If you or someone you love is contemplating suicide, seek help immediately. For help 24/7, dial 988 for the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, or reach out to the Crisis Text Line by texting TALK to 741741. To find a therapist near you, visit the Psychology Today Therapy Directory.