July was the deadliest month on record for suicides in the U.S. Army since reporting began two years ago. As detailed in Time’s Battleland blog, there were 32 suspected suicides last month — 22 among active-duty troops and 10 among reservists. The previous high of 31 suicides took place in June 2010.

Upper-level military officials say they are determined to come out victorious in the Army’s battle against suicide. But Gen. Peter Chiarelli, vice chief of staff of the Army, conceded that many soldiers are stubborn about facing any mental health issues they might have:

“The hardest part about this is breaking down the stigma. I’m not going to kid myself. As hard as I try, and I brief every brigade combat team going out, both in the National Guard and in the active component. I brief the leadership in an hour-long VTC [video-teleconference], and I explain to them what is traumatic brain injury, what is posttraumatic stress,” he said of the key contributors to suicide. “As hard as I try and as much as sometimes from about 20% of the audience I get the drinking duck, and I see the head going up and down, but I know it’s exactly that. It’s the drinking duck. In their mind, they really don’t believe these injuries are as serious as the injuries that they can see.”

In addition, a recent report by the National Center for Veterans’ Studies at the University of Utah revealed a startling percentage of suicides by college students who are veterans.