Army suicides double in July from June’s total

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Army says suicides among active-duty soldiers more than doubled in July from the month before.

That figure marks an acceleration of a military-wide trend this year that has caused Pentagon leaders to step up their search for solutions to a problem that has worsened in 2012 as the pace of combat has eased.

The Army had 26 suicides in July among active-duty soldiers, compared with 12 in June. In May it had 16.

Among Army Reserve soldiers not on active duty, there were 12 suicides in July — the same as in June.

For the first seven months of 2012, the Army has recorded 116 suicides among active-duty soldiers. If that pace is maintained through December, the year’s total would approach 200, compared with 167 for all of 2011.