Families Blame DOD, VA for High Military Suicide Rate

At a military suicide prevention conference hosted by the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs last week, family members of soldiers who committed suicide said the two departments failed to provide adequate treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder and other mental health problems. Earlier this month, the U.S. military said that there have been 154 suicides among active-duty soldiers this year, surpassing the total number of troops who have died in combat this year.

• "Military Families Share Suicides of Soldiers Who Sought Help" (Vogel, Washington Post, 6/22).