READ MORE: U.S. military aims to address mental health as suicides rise.
The Defense Department is still grappling with widespread shortages of mental health personnel and a difficult push to reduce the stigma of seeking help.
The Army was the only military service to have more suicides in 2021 than in 2020 — 176 compared with 174.
According to Defense Department data, there were 328 suicides by active duty service members in 2021, compared with 384 in 2020.
In the first six months of 2021, there were 173 suicides, compared with 158 in that time frame this year.
The National Guard and the Reserves both saw a small dip in suicides, from 121 in 2020 to 119 in 2021.
Behavioral research has linked military suicides to a range of personal issues, including finances and marital stress. »