The Pentagon formally stood up a 10-member panel Tuesday to address service member suicide. It will be headed by Dr. Gayle Iwamasa, a mental health professional at the Department of Veterans Affairs, according to a release.

The group has begun meeting and will in the coming months visit Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada; Fort Campbell, Kentucky; Naval Air Station North Island, California; the North Carolina National Guard; Camp Lejeune, North Carolina; and Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Fort Wainwright and Eielson Air Force Base in Alaska.

“The review of these initial installations will yield recommendations for the department that can be applied across our force,” Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby said Tuesday.

The panel, mandated by Congress last year, includes those who work in psychology, suicide prevention and firearms safety, as well as retired service members and a military family member, Military Times noted. Its initial findings are due in December, with a final report in February.

Army photo by Mary Davis