No Easy Answers on Rising Number of Military Suicides ABC 13News Now
No easy answers on rising number of military suicides
‘More work needs to be done,’ U.S. Senator Tim Kaine said while hosting a roundtable at Fort Eustis.
Author: Mike Gooding
Published: 5:24 PM EDT October 25, 2019
Updated: 5:24 PM EDT October 25, 2019
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — Military suicides in 2018 reached their highest number in five years: 541 active troops killed themselves, 40 more than the year before.
Locally, three sailors from the USS George H.W. Bush took their own lives in September.
Last year, sailor Brandon Caserta ended his life on the flight line of his helicopter squadron HSC-28 after he complained of bullying from his chain of command.
Secretary of Defense Mark Esper told 13News Now last month that the military branches are doing their best to grapple with a difficult problem.
“I believe we have the means and the resources to get ahead of this and do better than our civilian counterparts,” he said. “Our services are committed to doing this. I am committed to doing this.”
