Unless you’ve been totally tuned out to the war in Afghanistan, the surge in “Green on Blue” or "insider" attacks over the last few weeks has probably drawn your attention. These attacks are certainly on the rise and have become an unwelcome and troubling new trend in this decade long war. The Washington Post reports that there have been 28 of these attacks this year resulting in 39 coalition deaths, 23 of which were US fatalities.

As troubling as these attacks are, the US military is facing a larger and perhaps more menacing problem—one that in July was even more deadly than combat—and it’s one that does not appear to be going away. Furthermore, it’s a problem that bothers me even more than when Afghan soldiers, policemen and civilians turn their guns on American servicemen.

In the month of July alone 38 American Soldiers, 8 Marines, 6 Airmen and 4 Sailors were killed by American forces. In 31 days we lost 56 service members to what I’ll call “Blue on Blue” attacks. Suicide.

By comparison, in the same month coalition forces experienced four Green on Blue or insider attacks that resulted in six coalition fatalities (TD). In 31 days we lost six coalition forces to Green on Blue attacks while more than nine times as many American servicemen took their own lives. The US military suffered no less than 56 suicides—almost two a day—in the month of July.