Letter to Hon. Thom Tillis, Chariman of the Subcommittee on Personnel of the Senate Armed Services Committee - Gillibrand Calls For Senate Armed Services Personnel Subcommittee To Hold Hearing On Military Suicides As Active Duty Military Suicides Surge To A Five-Year Record

Letter

I am respectfully requesting that the Subcommittee on Personnel hold a hearing on the troubling increases of suicide among our service members and their families. I am confident you are as passionate about the well-being of our service members and their families as I am, and you are as eager to find answers to this persistent and unacceptable problem.

In the wake of yesterday's Department of Defense Annual Suicide Report there are important questions that need to be asked. The responsibility for finding meaningful answers and solutions falls within our committee's oversight role. The report details several troubling trends, especially with respect to an increase in the last five years among our active duty service members and a more recent spike in suicides among National Guard troops. The data and findings provided in the report highlight the alarming ineffectiveness of prevention efforts and highlight the need for new approaches to combating the challenges posed by military service on the mental health on those who sacrifice so much.

As the Chairman and Ranking members of the Subcommittee on Personnel, we must honor our responsibility to our military members and their families by calling for a hearing on this matter. I look forward to working with you on this important matter.

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