Yesterday, NBC News reported,
Service members committed suicide during 2012 at a record pace: more than 349 took their own lives across the four branches, or one every 25 hours, a Department of Defense spokesperson confirmed Monday.
The Army sustained the heaviest suicide toll at 182, a dark tally that — as NBC News reported Jan. 3 — marked another frightening first as soldier suicides last year outpaced the 176 Army members who were killed in combat while serving Operation Enduring Freedom, according to Pentagon officials.
During 2012, there also were 60 suicides among active-duty members of the Navy, 59 in the Air Force and 48 in the Marine Corps. Throughout the U.S. military, suicides increased by nearly 16 percent from 2011 to 2012, figures show.
I can’t tell you how heartbroken I was reading this report. These are incredible men and women who chose to serve our country and somewhere along the line something went horribly wrong. Maybe some of the issues started long before they entered the military, but I do know these men and women are often in extremely stressful situations. I know we ask a lot out of these individuals and I thought that today we could offer them something.
Prayer.
Would you guys commit to take some time out today to pray for the individuals and the families of those who serve in our country’s military?
If you, or one of your friends or family members serve in the military would you leave their name in the comments below so we can pray for them by name?
