USA Today reports that 11 US soldiers and 3 Marines have killed themselves in the past seven months in Iraq. The Navy also is investigating one possible suicide. And about a dozen other Army deaths are under investigation and could include suicides.
This is higher than the "usual" rate army suicides, around 13 per 100,000 soldiers.
Most of the suicides have occurred since May 1, when major combat operations were declared over.
The army has already sent 478 soldiers home from Iraq for mental-health reasons.
The Guardian reported in April that, according to the Department of Defense, there have been 107 suicides among veterans of the first Gulf war -- almost five times higher than the official number of deaths in combat.
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