‘Paramount Challenge’: Military Suicides Rise by 16 Percent

Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin speaks during a briefing at the Pentagon in Washington on Sept. 1, 2021. Susan Walsh/AP Photo

Suicides among U.S. service members increased 16 percent in 2020 from a year earlier, sparking a commitment from military leaders to redouble prevention efforts.

There were 580 self-inflicted deaths in 2020, up from 498 in 2019, according to newly released data from the Department of Defense.