Will participate in hearing increase congressional oversight regarding Army suicides in Houston Recruiting Battalion
WASHINGTONAt the request of U.S. Sen. John Cornyn R-Texas the Senate Armed Services Committee will examine the recent trend of Army recruiter suicides as part of a broader hearing it has scheduled for March 18 concerning the rising number of suicides by military service members suicide prevention efforts and related mental health issues.
Sen. Cornyn wrote to the Committee Chairman and Ranking Member in January requesting the hearing after the Army completed its investigation into four suicides at the Houston Recruiting Battalion citing the need to address the DoD-wide suicide problem and increase congressional oversight on the issue.
Im pleased the Senate Armed Services Committee has honored my request for a hearing to shed additional light on the upsetting trend of rising suicides in our Armed Forces. Our honorable troops raise their right hand don the uniform and bravely defend our country and we must do everything we can in return to support them.
But when for four consecutive years the Army reports an increase in the rate of suicide within its ranks it becomes clear that we are not doing enough to take care of our men and women in uniform. We need to get to the bottom of this undeniable problem find solutions and provide additional resources to our troops returning from the battlefield as well as their families whose support of their loved ones remains critical to our national defense.
After being briefed by Secretary Geren and his team on the Armys investigation into four suicides at the Houston Recruiting Battalion in January Im particularly interested in following up with Army officials on problems originally reported there which included poor command climate and low morale and getting an update on steps theyve taken since then to solve these complex problems.
I was recently in Houston meeting with local recruiters from the Battalion and personally heard about the tremendous stresses placed on them. We owe it to them and their family members to put policies in place to prevent future suicides both within the Houston Recruiting Battalion elsewhere in the Army Recruiting Command and across our Armed Forces. I look forward to discussing these issues during the hearing and examining policy options to better care for our troops in need" Sen. Cornyn said.
As a participant in the hearing Sen. Cornyn will testify as a member of the first witness panel and then join his Senate colleagues on the Subcommittee during the second and third panels of witnesses including the Army Vice Chief of Staff the Air Force Vice Chief of Staff the Vice Chief of Naval Operations and the Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps. For the official hearing notice please click here.
Background
After learning about the multiple suicides within the Houston Recruiting Battalion and hearing from countless constituents personally impacted by the poor morale and toxic command climate within the unit Sen. Cornyn wrote two letters to Army Secretary Pete Geren expressing serious concerns about the situation and calling for a thorough unbiased investigation. Shortly thereafter per the direction of Secretary Geren BG Frank Turner launched a broad comprehensive investigation into these issues.
The Army based on the seriousness of BG Turners findings as well as an overall increase in Army suicides in 2008 has initiated a series of actions designed to help soldiers in need and put a stop to the rising trend of suicides within their ranks.
On January 22 Sen. Cornyn wrote to the Chairman and Ranking Member of the Senate Armed Services Committee requesting hearings on the overall issue of recruiter suicides. Armed Services Committee Chairman Carl Levin wrote to Sen. Cornyn on January 30 thanking Sen. Cornyn for his personal interest informing him that the Armed Services Subcommittee on Personnel would convene a hearing on suicides and related mental health issues at the earliest opportunity and inviting Sen. Cornyns participation in the hearing.
There were 128 suicides in 2008 in the active Army. This was up from 115 suicides in 2007 which was the highest level since 1980 when the Army began tracking suicides.
