By DPA
Washington : Suicides in the US Army rose in 2006 for the third consecutive year as 101 soldiers killed themselves, mostly young men in lower enlisted ranks, the Pentagon has said.
There were 67 incidents of suicide by US Army troopers in 2004, and 87 in 2005. In 2003, the total was 79. About 500,000 men and women serve in the US Army.
Thirty of the suicides were among troops deployed in combat missions, including Iraq and Afghanistan, the Pentagon report said Thursday. That compares with 25 combat suicides in 2005, 13 in 2004 and 26 in 2003, the first year of the war in Iraq.
Troops deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan were most likely to attempt suicide during their first six months in the combat zone, the report said.
Failed relationships as well as legal and financial problems seemed to be among the main factors, said the report. Based on recent data, the typical soldier who committed suicide was a white male, aged 21-30, with a rank of private or specialist.