Lindsey Graham

How much money was allocated by component in fiscal year 2008, and fiscal year 2009 to attract and retain mental health professionals both in uniform and as civilian?

The Army's suicide prevention strategy does not rely on increasing dwell time as part of our approach to reducing suicides.

Overall, my goal in the next 6 months is due diligence and regimented enforcement of all institutional processes that exist to take care of soldiers with an ultimate goal being significant reduction in the number of suicides.

We all share your view that the current numbers of suicides in the Army are unacceptable.

I think what we have is a resource problem, but, more than anything else, we have a holdover of stigma.

I know this is hard, but that's the most overwhelming evidence I've heard that there is a real stigma problem here.

That's the point. I mean that is an astonishing number, to me, if you had 780 contacts last year.

But do we, as a matter of routine, inform the military, 'You have a problem here'?

Okay. Major General Rubenstein and Brigadier General Sutton, is that disturbing?

Do you believe there's a shortage of mental health counselors in the military?

The Army's suicide rate has doubled from 2004 to now.

What brings us here is the spike in suicides.

We know that statistically suicide is rare yet it remains one of the leading causes of death among young adults.

$50 million sounds like a lot of money to me. Do you support that initiative?

I think it's a cumulative effect of deployments that run from 12 months to 15 months.

This is one subcommittee, I think, that has really gotten the spirit of what we're all about here and tried to be as nonpartisan as possible.

From the 30,000-foot level here, for the 4-year period I just described, Air Force deployments have not come down.

I hope that this hearing will lead us to a better understanding of the factors that military organizations and families can positively influence.

I look forward to learning about what you're trying to do to control this problem, and I appreciate the hearing.

I believe that the military has made progress on many fronts in confronting the issue of stigma.

What is your definition of a public health epidemic?

When one of these storms hits or a catastrophe hits, no one asks your party affiliation.

The fact that no one was prepared for a million displaced families is not shocking.

I think the critical--it is the recognition that we see increasingly throughout the country that part of what fuels this violence in Mexico are the flows of weapons and money south.

I was very encouraged and excited after our meeting that we can contribute to what I think is an important dialog when it comes to the war on our Southern border.