In the third quarter of 2021, more than 150 U.S. Military personnel died of self-inflicted injuries. This is more than the total number of coronavirus-related deaths since the outbreak of the pandemic. The Pentagon released data showing that 163 service personnel committed suicide during Q3 2021. This was split into 70 active members, 56 reserve members, and 37 National Guard members.

While suicides among active military personnel dropped between Q2 and Q3, suicides among National Guard and reserve members rose. From July to September, nearly twice as many U.S. soldiers died from suicide than from the coronavirus throughout the entire pandemic. As of January 8, 1986, military personnel had died due to the coronavirus.

According to the Pentagon, 43 deaths by coronavirus occurred in September. The Pentagon claims that the Delta variant spike partially explains the increase in deaths from September to January. In the three quarters of 2021, 476 U.S. military personnel committed suicide. According to Pentagon data, 701 service personnel committed suicide in 2020.

The military began disciplinary actions against U.S. service personnel who did not comply with the federal government’s vaccination mandate in December. For refusing to receive the vaccine, more than 200 Marines were expelled from the United States Military.

A research paper released this summer concluded that 30177 American veterans and active military personnel who died in the post-9/11 wars committed suicide. This figure is at least four times higher than the 7,057 combat casualties.

These statistics were revealed in a report by the Cost of War Project, a joint research project between Brown University (Boston University) and Boston University.

The paper warns that suicide rates will rise unless the U.S. government or society makes significant changes to the way we manage mental illness among our veterans and service personnel. This is a war cost we can’t accept.”