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The suicide rate among soldiers may actually rise above the rate of soldiers killed in combat.

Shocking new figures show the number of soldiers who committed suicide in January could top the number of soldiers killed in combat in Iraq and Afghanistan last month.

In a rare move, the Army released monthly suicide data Thursday to highlight the growing problem. Last week, Army officials said its suicide rates were at their highest in nearly 30 years.

Last year, 128 soldiers committed suicide and another 15 suspected cases are pending. Last month, Army officials believe that 24 soldiers killed themselves - compared with just four in January 2008.

If those cases are confirmed as suicides - and officials said they usually are - that rate would be higher than the 16 combat deaths reported last month in Iraq and Afghanistan.

"The trend and trajectory seen in January further heightens the seriousness and urgency that all of us must have in preventing suicides," Army Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Peter Chiarelli said.

Army brass said they would hold suicide prevention training for all soldiers from Feb. 15 to March 15.

Veterans advocates said the new figures were "staggering" but also part of a larger problem. They said the numbers don't take into account how many soldiers commit suicide after leaving the military.

"In January, we lost more soldiers to suicide than to Al Qaeda," said Paul Rieckhoff, executive director of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America.

"If we lost this many soldiers to an enemy weapon, the entire country would know about it and we would demand defensive measures."