A bipartisan group of lawmakers called on the Army to address its alarming problem of suicide in Alaska, requesting plans to improve living conditions and ensure soldiers have timely access to mental health counselors, a key finding of a USA TODAY investigation into suicide deaths there.
Rep. Jackie Speier, D-Calif., and Alaska’s Republican senators Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan wrote to Army Sec. Christine Wormuth about the Army’s suicide crisis that is responsible for the confirmed or suspected deaths of 17 soldiers in Alaska in 2021. The total, first reported by USA TODAY in January, is more than the previous two years combined.
“The epidemic of military suicides across America cries out for immediate action, especially in Alaska where twice as many service members died in 2021 compared to 2020,” Speier said in a statement. “I have spoken previously with the spouses and parents of service members who have died by suicide there, as well as other service members and behavioral health care providers overwhelmed with demand in the region.”