As suicides rise, Army brass reassessing more outreach
FORT BRAGG, N.C. >> The 82nd Airborne Division has endured 10 suicides so far this year, a number that stood at four last year. In 2018, six division paratroopers took their own lives; four did so in 2017.
While the driving factors of the suicides remain unknown, Maj. Gen. Christopher Donahue, who assumed command of the division in July, believes that the forced periods of isolation and other stressors the coronavirus pandemic have imposed on his troops and their families have been a major factor. The increase has pushed Donahue to make suicide prevention a priority and frequent topic of conversation within his ranks.
“There is absolutely a stigma that’s out there,” Donahue said. “And if we don’t acknowledge that, we’re lying.” 2020 has been an unprecedented year for the 82nd Airborne Division. In January, for the first time in three decades, the division’s Immediate Response Force was activated amid rising tensions with Iran.
At the same time, one unit was finishing up a ninemonth rotation in Afghanistan, America’s longest-running war.
By the time soldiers in both brigades returned to Fort Bragg in the spring, the COVID-19 pandemic was well underway as it threatened to overwhelm the U.S. public health system. Patriotic welcome home ceremonies were replaced with a mandatory two-week quarantine and restrictions preventing paratroopers from going on leave to visit family out of state. Gyms and dining facilities on post closed down and unit meetings were held via Zoom.
While those measures were necessary, Donahue believes it’s the primary fuel igniting the suicide increase.
While suicide has long been a problem in the U.S. military, numbers have risen this year by as much as 20% as service members struggle with isolation and other impacts of COVID-19, added to the pressures of deploying to war zones and responding to national disasters and civil unrest. Incidents of violent behavior also have spiked.
The numbers vary by service. Suicide is particularly taking its toll in the Army, where senior leaders told The Associated Press they’ve seen a 30% jump in active- duty suicides so far this year compared to last year. They’re looking at ways to shorten combat deployments and put more focus on soldier well-being and less on combat readiness and weapons modernization in response to the rising numbers.