Despite extensive support and counseling programs , as many as 349 U.S. service members committed suicide last year , which would be the highest number since the Department of Defense began keeping detailed statistics in 2001 . According to the Pentagon , 239 military deaths in 2012 have been confirmed as suicides and another 110 are being investigated as probable suicides . The number of suicides in 2011 reached 301 ; there were 298 the year before . The statistics on suicides among service members , many of whom had deployed to war zones , included deaths among reserve forces . Reservist gets 25 years for shootings . Each branch of the service showed an increase . The Army had by far the highest number of suicides and probable suicides -- 182 , a nuvcmber that was up from 166 in 2011 . The Navy had 60 suicides in 2012 compared with 52 the year before , followed by the Air Force with 59 ( up from 51 ) and the Marine Corps with 48 ( up from 32 ) . For years , the Pentagon has struggled with how to identify service members at risk for suicide and to provide counseling and other services . The Army and Navy have focused on teaching `` resiliency '' to troops in hopes of helping them cope with stress . Military experts have long said one of the enduring challenges is that there does n't appear to be a direct link between suicides and the stress of being in the combat zone . U.S. may pull all forces from Afghanistan after 2014 . A private-sector group , the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors ( TAPS ) , which provides military grief support programs , reported it has eight to 10 cases a week of people seeking help because they are dealing with the suicide of a service member . Of the people contacting the organization for care and support , 18 % were `` grieving a death by suicide , '' TAPS said in a statement . `` We are deeply saddened by this loss of life , and renew our commitment to support the military families left behind who are grieving the deaths of service members by suicide , '' said Bonnie Carroll , founder of TAPS . She is a former co-chair of a congressionally mandated Department of Defense Task Force on the Prevention of Suicide in the Armed Forces . Can nasal spray help prevent military suicides ? `` We know that at least 10 people are personally impacted by each death and every death is a tragedy , '' Carroll said in the statement . Kim Ruocco directs suicide postvention programs , counseling and support efforts for people affected by a loved one 's suicide , for TAPS . She said service members in distress deserve `` an immediate and comprehensive response . '' `` We do not expect for a soldier with a broken leg to be strong and get up and become better without seeking medical treatment , '' said Ruocco , the widow of Marine Maj. John Ruocco , who died by suicide in 2005 . `` When a soldier is suffering from a mental health injury , he or she deserves medical treatment and the very best care that is available . '' Afghan elders to decide on immunity for U.S. forces .
Pentagon : As many as 349 military service members committed suicide in 2012 . It would be the most since detailed records began being kept in 2001 . More than half of the suicides and apparent suicides were among Army personnel . Military support group says 18 % of its contacts are from people grieving a suicide .