Photo Courtesy of U.S. Army
Senator Gillibrand’s push comes as three 10th Mountain Division soldiers at Fort Drum lost their lives to suspected suicide within 48 hours, three weeks ago.
By Forum Staff
Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) on Thursday held a video press conference to address the rising rate of suicide in the military—a crisis in New York State and across the country. A recent study conducted by the Cost of War Project shows that since Sept. 11, 2001, more than four times as many active-duty personnel and veterans have died by suicide when compared to the number of service members who have died in combat. On Thursday, the Department of Defense released its annual report on suicide, showing that 580 service members died by suicide in 2020. This is an increase from 2019’s report of 498 service members.
Gillibrand’s push comes as three 10th Mountain Division soldiers at Fort Drum lost their lives to suspected suicide within 48 hours, three weeks ago. In response to these tragedies, Gillibrand sent a letter to the Department of Defense on Thursday asking for details on the Department’s actions to address marital stress and the mental health of service members and their families. She is also renewing her push to pass the Brandon Act, bipartisan legislation named in Brandon Castera’s honor, which would expand access to mental health care services for active-duty military personnel, including access to confidential mental health evaluation referrals without fear of retaliation.
“Over the last 10 years, the veteran suicide rate has doubled that of the civilian suicide rate,” Gillibrand said. “These aren’t just numbers; these are fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, sons and daughters. And as the recent tragedies at Ft. Drum prove, no community is immune to this crisis. We owe it to these brave men and women to end the stigma on mental health and eliminate barriers that stand between our service members and veterans and access to mental health care.”
More than 45,000 veterans and active-duty service members have committed suicide over a six-year period from 2013-2019. According to the DoD’s reporting, suicide rates for active-duty service members and veterans continue to rise, and spiked to a five-year high in 2018. In 2017, 136 veterans in New York died by suicide —one nearly every other day— and veterans die by suicide in New York at a much higher rate than the overall state population. Additionally, between 2005 and 2017, the suicide rate more than doubled for New York veterans aged 18 to 34 years old.
Currently, the Department of Defense policy requires mental health professionals to report many cases of mental health concerns of service members to a commander. However, commanders are not required to provide opportunities for mental health treatment. This policy lacks accountability, can lead to mistrust, and serves as a barrier to treatment, as many service members fear repercussions to their career. The bipartisan Brandon Act would require the Department of Defense to establish a standard phrase that service members may use to initiate mandatory and immediate treatment and would ensure confidentiality for service members seeking treatment. This confidential request would be designed to function like the restricted reporting system for victims of military sexual assault, so that service members can receive mental health treatment in confidence.
Gillibrand’s announcement also comes as U.S. soldiers withdraw from Afghanistan and the longest war in United States history. Many service members from the Fort Drum 10th Mountain Division deployed to Afghanistan to assist in the withdrawal. Many now bear the physical and mental scars of warfighting.
