Army on track to surpass 2008 suicide numbers

As many as 12 soldiers killed themselves in July, the Army announced today, and the service remains on course to setting a record for suicides in a single year. Of the 12 deaths, eight were active-duty soldiers and four were National Guard or Army Reserve soldiers who were not on active duty at the time of their deaths. All 12 deaths are possible suicides and remain under investigation. Typically, about 90 percent of these investigations are ruled suicides, Army officials have said. In June, there were 13 confirmed or possible suicides; nine were active-duty soldiers and four were soldiers who were not on active duty. As of Aug. 13, four of those 13 deaths had been confirmed as suicides. Between Jan. 1 and July 31, there have been 96 reported active-duty suicides. Of those, 62 have been confirmed as suicides and 34 are still under investigation. There were 79 suicides among active-duty soldiers for the same period in 2008.