Reports: US soldiers dying more of suicide than COVID-19 | US military shows worrying trend |...

Suicides have been a problem way before COVID. We just ended a 20+ year failure of a GWOT that some service members (like me) spent their entire careers in. The stigma for getting help still exists to some extent and needs to go away. Leader engagement is a huge thing and can save lives.

Yes Ma’am, isolation kills. The military knows that, this is why we had barracks checks on weekends as young NCOs. While I am not serving currently and I am speculating, I am quite certain that leadership has adhered to current day Barracks policy and not randomly going into the barracks knocking on doors and chatting with the troops.

Heath and welfare should be reinstated, I am sure sone units are doing it regardless, but not many. Health and welfare extended to private quarters as well. Calling your Troops, driving by and stopping if it is suspected there is an issue. Ther were countless times in my career that we mitigated by engaging and saved lives. Can we stop them all, no, but if it saves one life then that makes it all worth it.
God Bless our Troops.

I hope I am wrong and that Health and Welfare checks have been reinstated.

The military should be conducting psychosocial autopsies on every suicide. In a large Community Mental Health Center I conducted these "sentinel events". Based on 50 yrs. of clinical research I know a lot about suicide prevention based on known clinical risk factors. This continues to break my heart because some of these deaths can be prevented.
Rich