MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, Calif -- Over the years, Marines have fought and won many battles all over the world. One battle that has yet to be won is against an invisible enemy: suicide.
November was the first month since 2007, the Marine Corps didn’t have a reported suicide. Last year, 52 Marines committed suicide, marking the highest rate in Marine Corps history.
Suicide claimed the lives of 35 Marines in 2010, and the Marine Corps is fighting this enemy head on.
Issues stemming from legal, marital and financial problems and feelings of loneliness are known to impact a Marine’s decision to attempt suicide.
“Marines, especially the single ones, tend to feel forgotten about during the holiday season,” said Meghan K. Jones, director of Marine Corps Family Team, Camp Pendleton. “It’s when they feel like there are no other options that they begin to make the decision to take their life.”
Jones said the Marine Corps is working to do away with the negative stigma surrounding post-traumatic stress disorder and depression. Marines are taking care of Marines and utilizing the resources available to them, including the new DSTRESS hotline, Military OneSource and unit chaplains. Jones believes the chain of command is the first line of defense.
Story by Cpl. Monty Burton
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