Army Vice Chief Talks Suicide at Fort Drum

Peter Chiarelli, the Army’s Vice Chief of Staff, visits Fort Drum today to talk about suicide prevention. Until recently, suicide was something the military just didn’t talk about, especially in an Army that prides itself on its physical and mental toughness. But the suicide rate has spiked alarmingly in the last year – now higher than the civilian population, and the highest in the Army’s history since records were kept. The trend seems to be baffling military brass, prompting one senior Army official to tell CNN last month: “this is terrifying…we have no idea what’s going on.”
In response, Chiarelli has been touring Army installations nationwide.

If your curious what a vice-chief of staff actually does (other than talk about suicide prevention), here’s a snippet from wikipedia:

He handles the day to day administration of the Army bureaucracy, freeing the Chief of Staff to attend to the interservice responsibilities of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Under the supervision and direction of the Secretary of the Army, the Vice Chief of Staff assists the Chief of Staff on missions and functions related to auditing, inspector general, legislative, and public affairs. The Vice Chief of Staff also assists the Chief of Staff in the management of Army installations and facilities.