As some soldiers prepare to spend holidays deployed or away from their families, leaders across the service have been directed to “deliberately check in” on their soldiers every day, through December and into January.

Army Secretary Dan Driscoll announced the service-wide directive — which he dubbed “just pick up so we can provide help” — in a letter to the service released this week.

“An officer or [non-commissioned officer] will deliberately check in on every soldier daily to see if they need help,” Driscoll wrote. “Just pick up your phone or car keys — call, text, or visit your buddy — and pick them up, too.”

The message, Driscoll said, was a direct appeal for soldiers to focus on mental health over the holidays.

“Seeking help is not weakness — it takes courage, faith, and trust that your family, friends, and community will accept you and help you,” Driscoll wrote in his letter. “We want to pick you up, share your load, and get you moving forward again.”

In the Pentagon’s last annual report on suicide, officials found that the rate of military members who die by suicide has gradually increased since 2011. The 2025 report has not been released, but as of June, there were 61 suicides in the Army this year, according to the Defense Suicide Prevention Office.

That rate was close to the full-year rate in 2024, when there were a total of 134 suicides in the Army.

Across all branches in 2025, there were 153 suicides as of June, about half of the 302 recorded in 2024. 

“Soldiers aren’t getting the help they need,” Driscoll wrote. “Signing those letters of condolence–and knowing we could have helped-is heart-breaking. I wish we never had to write another one.”

In 2021, Congress passed the Brandon Act, which created a process for service members to confidentially seek mental health help and use duty time to attend appointments. The law was inspired by Petty Officer 3rd Class Brandon Caserta, who committed suicide in front of his peers in 2018 and whose story prompted discussions around the systemic barriers troops face in seeking mental health care. In May, Caserta’s parents told Task & Purpose that despite it being passed four years ago, the rules are not widely understood by troops seeking help or their leaders. 

In his letter, Driscoll wrote about how the winter phase of Ranger School, 15 years ago, “nearly broke me.” 

“I slipped and fell, couldn’t get up, and the cold crushed me. I was done in that moment. But my Ranger Buddies picked me up and helped me start moving again. That was an inflection point for me: I realized no one can go through life alone, we all break eventually, and we need each other,” he wrote. 

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Driscoll’s letter noted a “high-risk for self-harm” inherent with holiday seasons, though studies on suicide have found little evidence of a peak from November to January. A 2023 data analysis by the Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania investigated suicide rates over the calendar year and found that suicide rates were not worse in the winter months and that “news organizations erroneously link the year-end holiday season with suicide.”

Nonetheless, the reality for service members during the holidays can often include a unique set of stressors, including financial strains, separation from family or military friends, or even visits to hometowns where troops may feel unexpectedly adrift.

Driscoll’s letter also included QR codes linking to Army suicide prevention and the 988 national prevention hotline resources.

If you’re thinking about suicide, are worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, the Lifeline network is available 24/7 across the United States. Reach the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline by calling or texting 988 and you’ll be connected to trained counselors.

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