Our service members are dying.

Too many find themselves alone in danger on an internal battlefield where they fall by their own hands.

After a decade of war more troops are killing themselves than are being killed by the enemy.

The 154 suicides for active-duty troops in the first 155 days of the year far outdistance the U.S. forces killed in action in Afghanistan — about 50 percent more — according to Pentagon statistics obtained by The Associated Press.

Serving in a war zone is brutal. It isn’t part of most of our experience to try to kill others while they are trying to kill us. But that is what we ask our soldiers to do.

Soldiers can pay a high mental and emotional price for answering the call.

Reasons for the increase in suicides aren’t fully understood.

Studies and Army data point to multiple combat tours, post-traumatic stress, prescription drug abuse and personal financial problems as significant contributors.

Staffing levels in our services need to be sufficient for the demands placed on troops. As conflicts wind down, fewer and shorter deployments should help.

The rise comes despite years of effort by the military to encourage members to seek help with mental health problems.

Soldiers live in a culture that values toughness, strength and personal sacrifice. Many in the military believe needing help will be seen as a sign of weakness and a potential threat to advancement.

The military is working to change that perception. Not everyone is getting the message.

Maj. Gen. Dana Pittard, commander of the 1st Armored Division, last month retracted a statement in his Army blog in January. He had written, “I have now come to the conclusion that suicide is an absolutely selfish act.” He also wrote, “I am personally fed up with soldiers who are choosing to take their own lives so that others can clean up their mess. Be an adult, act like an adult, and deal with your real-life problems like the rest of us.” He did also counsel soldiers to seek help.

Telling soldiers to man up is not the solution.

Getting them the help they need is.