The Secretary of the Army, Mark Esper, said Friday there is nothing more troubling to him than when he learns a Soldier has taken his or her life. He addressed a news conference after a visit to Fort Riley.

Esper stated, “In my conversations with the chain of command nobody said it’s a lack of resources or a lack of effort, or in many ways a lack of understanding. ” He said,  It’s a challenge that affects not just the Army, but society at large.We have to tackle it because it’s too important to our Soldiers, our units. We’ve got to take care of them.”

The Secretary said he recently directed that NCO’s be back in charge of their Soldiers, “taking care responsibility for these issues, that we’re employing such as not in my squad. The Sergeant Major of the Army has endorsed where we call upon Soldiers to make sure they watch out for one another, they look for the warning signs of a Soldier who may be anxious or stressed out or depressed.” Esper added a holistic approach must be taken to address the issue.

There have been multiple suicide cases involving Fort Riley Soldiers in the past year.

During Esper also met with units and command teams. participated in a town hall meeting and met with military spouses during a luncheon. “So I’ve had a wonderful visit, a great opportunity to better understand the post. appreciate the great vast training areas it offers and really get a good sense of the readiness and preparedness of the 1st Infantry Division.” Fort Riley is one of four military installations under consideration as a possible future home for a new Armored Brigade Combat Team. Esper indicated that decision will be made later this summer.