An independent commission recommended Friday, February 24 to the American army to better regulate access to personal firearms on military bases in order to fight against suicides, many within its ranks.
"
The majority of suicides in the military involve firearms
," notes a committee commissioned by the Pentagon last year to work on this issue, and "
reduce access to firearms, especially in moments of intense distress, reduced (the frequency) of suicides
”.
25 years minimum to buy a weapon
The body calls for a seven-day period between the purchase on the basis of a weapon and its actual withdrawal - four days for ammunition - as well as raising the minimum age for the purchase of a weapon to 25 years.
Among the committee's 120 recommendations is also that of registering all the weapons of those who live in military accommodation, as well as keeping them under lock and key.
Their adoption would strengthen the current rules, which vary by base because they depend on the laws of the state in which they are located.
Access to firearms, which is poorly regulated in the United States, is a hot topic of political debate in the country, with conservatives widely opposed to restricting their access.
More than 500 soldiers and 200 relatives of soldiers killed themselves in 2021, according to the Pentagon.