Military Connection: DOD Posts 3rd Quarter Suicide Report

On March 9, 2015, the Department of Defense (DOD) released its Quarterly Suicide Report (QSR) for the third quarter of 2014, representing the time period of July through September.

The QSRs are posted on the Defense Suicide Prevention Office (DSPO) at www.suicideoutreach.org. QSRs are intended to communicate the DOD’s data on suicide and suicide prevention to the public on a regular basis.

For the sake of the report, the QSR defines suicide as self-inflicted death with evidence of intent to die.

The report shows that there were 56 total suicides among active-duty components from all branches of the military combined. There were 31 suicides in the Army, 12 in the Air Force, seven in the Navy and six in the Marine Corps.

While high, the third quarter count is significantly lower than each of the first two quarters of 2014. The first quarter suicide count for active duty components was 74, and the second quarter was 70.

Among the Reserve component for the third quarter there were 20 suicides: 15 from the Army Reserve, three from the Air Force Reserve and one each from the Navy Reserve and Marine Corps Reserve.

There were also 26 suicides among members of the National Guard during the third quarter, including 23 in the Army National Guard and three from the Air National Guard.

Service members from all branches and components need to be reminded that there is help available to them in times of crisis through the Military Crisis Line.The Military Crisis Line is available twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. Active duty service members, Reservists, and members of the Guard can access help at http://www.veteranscrisisline.net/ActiveDuty.aspx, by texting 838255 or by calling toll free to: 1-(800) 273-8255 [then Press 1].

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