How many U.S. Army suicides occurred in the month of July?

According to Pentagon officials, July was the worst month for suicides since the Army began releasing figures in 2009. For the first time, the number of active-duty troops who took their own lives actually doubled the number of soldiers killed while in the line of duty in Afghanistan. If this alarming rate of suicides should continue, the Army stands to lose about 200 servicemen and women this year - a significantly higher number than any year in the past decade.

Confronting these devastating trends will require prioritizing the mental health care needs of our soldiers, both while they serve our country abroad and when they return home from war. There remains to be a lack of money and resources devoted to this essential cause, leaving many gaps in care and long waits for soldiers seeking assistance.

Most of all, lowering Army suicide rates will only occur when our society reduces the stigma associated with mental illness and encourages more soldiers to seek care.