The Army in Hawai'i will recognize National Suicide Prevention Month today on Sills Field at Schofield Barracks with events intended to promote awareness of the effects that suicide has not only on family members, but also on the "Army family," officials said.

The event begins at 6:30 a.m. with a 2-mile fun run, followed by opportunities for soldiers and family members to visit booths staffed by behavioral health experts, Army counselors and military chaplains.

Army programs are available not only for suicide prevention but also drug and alcohol prevention and domestic violence prevention, officials said.

In 2008, 143 soldiers Armywide committed suicide, the highest number in the three decades that the Army has kept records.

To reverse the increase in soldier suicides, the Army has implemented a number of programs, including a $50 million, five-year study on suicide conducted in conjunction with the National Institute of Mental Health.