Total military suicides for 2012 is closer to 500

This has been gnawing at me since last week when I posted how Military Suicide reports do not add up. I went to the DOD website to see if there were any corrections released. I just found the Army report with these numbers.

Army Releases December 2012 and Calendar Year 2012 Suicide Information
The Army released suicide data today for the month of December and calendar year 2012. During December, among active-duty soldiers, there were 7 potential suicides: 3 have been confirmed as suicides and four remain under investigation. For November, the Army reported 12 potential suicides among active-duty soldiers: four have been confirmed as suicides and 8 remain under investigation. For 2012, there have been 182 potential active-duty suicides: 130 have been confirmed as suicides and 52 remain under investigation. Active-duty suicide number for 2011: 165 confirmed as suicides and no cases under investigation.

During December, among reserve component soldiers who were not on active duty, there were 15 potential suicides (10 Army National Guard and five Army Reserve): four have been confirmed as suicides and 11 remain under investigation. For November, among that same group, the Army reported 15 potential suicides (12 Army National Guard and three Army Reserve): 10 have been confirmed as suicides and five remain under investigation.

For 2012, there have been 143 potential not on active-duty suicides (96 Army National Guard and 47 Army Reserve): 117 have been confirmed as suicides and 26 remain under investigation. Not on active-duty suicide numbers for 2011: 118 (82 Army National Guard and 36 Army Reserve) confirmed as suicides and no cases under investigation.

182 for the Year 2012 Army
143 for Year 2012 Army National Guard and Reservists
335 Total Army but the article did not include the Guards and Reservists in the total.
That was from the Department of Defense for the Army, National Guards and Reservists.

This is from Marine Corps Times article Chiarelli: Suicide a nationwide problem It listed
182 Army Active Duty
48 Marines
59 Air Force
60 Navy

In 2012, the Army had 182 active-duty suicides, the Marine Corps, 48; the Air Force, 59 and the Navy, 60, according to the services.

Adding in the Army National Guards and Army Reservists the total is 492.

The truth is, we will never know how many for sure. Sometimes the cause of death is ruled accident when it was suicide and the other way around. What should concern us more than anything else is these numbers continue to go up but nothing in the way the military treats it has changed anymore than they way they treat PTSD.

The rate for veteran suicides actually increases with age. One more thing to be concerned with as this generation ages.