An investigative series by Will Huntsberry
Photos by Ariana Drehsler and Miranda Alam
The suicide crisis among veterans has been well documented. But another dark phenomenon exists just beneath the surface in San Diego and across the country.
A new analysis by Voice of San Diego shows just how much young active-duty service members are dying by suicide at alarming rates.
Young men, 25 and under, are nearly twice as likely to die by suicide as their civilian peers.
These young men, by and large, have not seen combat. In many cases, they take their own lives on military bases, where they are surrounded by people who understand what it’s like to be in the military and where they are supposed to have direct access to services.
At Camp Pendleton, for instance, at least 20 people took their own lives while living in barracks at the base over a six-year period.
The trend is even more grave for young women.
Women in the armed forces aged 17-30 are more than twice as likely to die by suicide as civilian women in the same age bracket.
In this investigative series, Voice of San Diego unveils troubling trends and new revelations about military mental health.
If you or someone you know might be considering suicide, please call: 988.
THE STORIES
Deadly Failure: Documenting a Voice Investigation
The story follows Petty Officer 2nd Class Tiara Gray, who died aboard the USS Essex in 2018 off the shores of San Diego.
3 Takeaways from Our Story About a Navy Suicide
Look familiar? We pulled this post from the Morning Report. Subscribe to the daily newsletter to get our stories in your inbox. Maybe you haven’t had time to read our epic account of the life and death of Tiara Gray, a sailor stationed in San Diego. (You should. People have called it “superb” and “heart-wrenching.”) If not, we got you.…
Deadly Failure: A Sailor Was in Crisis. Her Command Kept the Pressure on Anyway
March 6, 2018, was another mild and sunny day in San Diego. Petty Officer 2nd Class Tiara Gray, who was 21 years old, was somewhere off the coast, onboard the USS Essex, writing in her journal. It was 27 days before she died. I sat on the hangar bay today. I felt the sun warm my skin and…
Women In Military More Than Twice as Likely to Die By Suicide as Civilians
For young women in the armed forces to consider suicide – and act on it – is far more common than their civilian peers, a new analysis by Voice of San Diego finds.
Over Six Years, There Have Been More Than 30 Suicides at Camp Pendleton
An average of more than five Marines per year died by suicide at Camp Pendleton. At least 20 took their lives in the barracks – and another four during training exercises.
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