US military suicides reach all-time high

The Health Promotion, Risk Reduction, and Suicide Prevention report, released on Thursday by the Pentagon, revealed there were 160 suicides last year, the highest total ever.

That puts the army suicide rate at a record 20.2 per 100,000, exceeding the national average of 19.2 for the first time.

The suicide rate in June reached an all-time high record of 32 - nearly one suicide per day. And there were 1,713 known suicide attempts last year.

US general Peter Chiarelli, the army vice-chief of staff, blamed faster deployments and too little time at home for the leap in suicides.

"For some, the rigours of service, repeated deployment, injuries and separations from family resulted in a sense of isolation, hopelessness and life fatigue," he said.

Suicide rates in the military began rising in 2004, one year after the illegal US-led invasion of Iraq and three years after the invasion of Afghanistan.

And over the past five years the number of US soldiers using antidepressants and painkillers has tripled.

Latest estimates indicate about 106,000 soldiers are on some form of depression, anxiety or pain medication.