Army base shuts down for anti-suicide event

FORT CAMPBELL, Kentucky (CNN) - A major United States military base is shutting down for three days after a rash of suicides, the base announced.

Fort Campbell, home of the Army's 101st Airborne Division, is holding a three-day "suicide stand-down training event" starting Wednesday - the second one it has held this year, a base spokeswoman told CNN.

At least 11 deaths of Fort Campbell soldiers this year are confirmed or suspected suicides, spokeswoman Kelly Tyler said. That's out of 64 confirmed or suspected suicides in the entire Army, according to official statistics.

The base commander, Brig. Gen. Stephen Townsend, addressed all 19,000 soldiers of the 101st Airborne Division on Wednesday, Tyler said.

"His intent was to be able to look them in the eye and make them aware that everyone cares about the issue, and make sure they know - corporal to general, what help is available," she said. "To make sure that people know we want them to keep living."

Soldiers often refuse to admit they are having problems because of the culture of the military, she said.