Bipartisan trio in Congress wants more action on Army Alaska's suicide problem

[Sherman A1]

A trio of influential lawmakers from both parties joined together to ask the Army to step up its efforts to stem the tide of suicide deaths occurring at the service’s bases in Alaska, they announced Wednesday in a letter to Army Secretary Christine Wormuth.

Alaska’s two Republican senators, Dan Sullivan and Lisa Murkowski, signed the letter declaring “we are failing our service members,” alongside Rep. Jackie Spier, D-Calif., who chairs the House’s military personnel subcommittee.

Although the entire active duty Army experienced a historically high number of confirmed or suspected suicide deaths in 2021, Army Alaska’s 17 deaths among its approximately 11,000 soldiers represented a disproportionately high rate.

“Service members stationed in Alaska are under an outsized level of stress from several angles, including behavioral health specialist shortages, financial challenges, infrastructure and transportation limitations, and the adjustment to living in a remote location with extreme cold weather,” the members of Congress said.

https://www.militarytimes.com/news/your-army/2022/04/15/bipartisan-trio-in-congress-wants-more-action-on-army-alaskas-suicide-problem/

[Tetrachloride]

1. An acquaintance had to leave Alaska.

Stress was certainly part of it.

The long winter nights were cited, especially for those who live in the shadow of a hill or mountain.