US army officers ‘fail to spot suicide warning signs’

THE US army said leadership and discipline have deteriorated at bases in the United States, with officers missing warning signs of soldiers on the verge of suicide.

As the military focused on fighting wars in Iraq and Afghanistan over nearly a decade, senior leaders have failed to track reckless behaviour and monitor alcohol and drug abuse among soldiers back home, said an army report on suicide prevention.

“Because of everything we’re doing, we have not paid the attention we need to high-risk behaviour,” said General Peter Chiarelli, the US army’s vice chief of staff, who oversaw the report.