A recent Department of Defense report reveals that nearly 6,000 service members died by suicide between 2011 and 2022.
And Army soldiers assigned to infantry, combat engineering, and armament and munitions had higher suicide mortality rates than their peers in lower stress roles.
More than 1,400 of those suicides were among National Guard troops.
Madison Thompson is the risk reduction coordinator for the Maine Army National Guard and trains soldiers on suicide prevention.
"I definitely see trends of individuals talking and coming forward when they are having mental health challenges. I also see soldiers being able to help individuals who are struggling, thanks to annual training and things like that," Thompson said.
The Department of Defense figures show that over the same decade, the suicide rate for Active and Reserve soldiers was less than .30%, lower than the 1.6% for the general population.
The Veteran suicide rate in Maine in 2021 was not significantly different from the national Veteran suicide rate, but it was two and a half times higher than the national suicide rate of the general population, according to the Maine Bureau of Veterans Services.
Senator Angus King called for the study to help create policies addressing suicide risks across the armed forces.
If you are a veteran or soldier in crisis dial 988 and then press 1 to connect with a Veterans Crisis Line responder anytime day or night.