Army Sets Out to Stop Recruiter Suicides

The US Army is setting up a board to prevent suicides of Houston, Texas-based recruiters after the fourth suicide in 3 years, CNN reports. The board will examine the pressure they face at work and the post-traumatic effects of combat. "The suicides in the Houston battalion are a very loud, very bright alarm that Army officials and politicians can't afford to ignore," said Paul Sullivan, a veterans' advocate.

The Army is sending a chaplain and a psychologist to help Houston recruiters, who already receive suicide prevention training annually. "We do not have any other circumstances with our recruiters around the country like we do with the Houston unit," an Army spokesman said. But all recruiters face long hours, 6- or 7-day work weeks, and high pressure to keep up enlistment quotas, said Sullivan.
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