[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 127 (Wednesday, September 19, 2012)]
[Senate]
[Page S6438]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   U.S. ARMY'S SUICIDE STAND DOWN DAY

  Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, I rise today during Suicide Prevention 
Month to recognize the Army's Suicide Stand Down Day, which will take 
place later this month on September 27, 2012.
  The stand down is an opportunity for the Army to take a hard look at 
current efforts to address the issue of suicide among soldiers and 
focus on ways to improve these efforts. It will emphasize eliminating 
the stigma surrounding mental health injuries, which too often prevents 
our service men and women from getting the help they need.
  This could not come at a more critical time. The incidence of suicide 
among our troops has skyrocketed to alarming levels due, in part, to 
over 10 years of repeated and protracted deployments to combat zones 
around the world. In fact, the Army experienced a record-high 38 
Active-Duty suicides in July and is on track to surpass last year's 
total. This is absolutely tragic and requires urgent and sustained 
action.
  The central theme of the stand down is ``Shoulder to Shoulder: We 
Stand up for Life.'' This is such a critical message--our 
servicemembers should never have to suffer alone. Our military men and 
women make tremendous sacrifices each and every day in service to our 
Nation, and we have a sacred obligation to take care of them in return. 
This means ensuring they feel comfortable seeking the care that they 
need without fear or repercussion or being stigmatized. This also means 
improving access to mental health care and providing support for our 
military families.
  While there is no single solution to preventing military suicide, 
efforts like the Army's Suicide Stand Down Day are important steps 
because they provide an opportunity to have a frank conversation across 
all levels of leadership about the profound stressors our troops are 
experiencing.
  I strongly encourage all branches of our military to continue to 
review and improve their suicide prevention programs because it is 
clear that more must be done and that it must be done now.
  Suicide reaches far beyond one individual--it devastates entire 
families and affects communities. Our military families are resilient 
and they display incredible courage in the face of so many unique 
challenges, but no one person or family can be strong all the time.
  That is why we must continue to do everything in our power to send 
the message to our servicemembers, veterans, and their families that it 
is OK to ask for help and that the care and support they need is 
waiting for them.
  I urge our citizens, our government, and our Nation to continue to 
stand shoulder to shoulder with our Armed Forces and recommit ourselves 
to stemming the tide of military suicide once and for all because we 
can all agree that one suicide is one too many.

                          ____________________