Pentagon chief ‘deeply concerned’ by sharp rise in suicides among US troops July 28, 2021 ALASKA: In 2020, 385 active-duty soldiers died by suicide, marking a steep increase from the 326 cases reported by the Pentagon in 2018. “I’m deeply concerned about the suicide rates, not only here but across the force,” Austin said over the weekend on a visit to the Eielson air base in Alaska. Since 30 December, at least six soldiers have died by probable suicide in Alaska, reported international media. “One loss by suicide is too many. While we’re working hard on this problem, we have a lot more to do,” he added.