Suicides among U.S. service members increased 16 percent in 2020 compared to the year before, sparking a commitment from military leaders to redouble prevention efforts. The 580 self-inflicted deaths in 2020 was up from 498 in 2019, according to newly released data from the Department of Defense. “The findings are troubling. Suicide rates among our service members and military families are still too high, and the trends are not going in the right direction,” Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in a statement, calling suicide prevention a “paramount challenge” for the Pentagon and vowing to “redouble our efforts” on the front. Most of the suicides were among males who were under 30. The majority killed themselves using firearms. Officials aren’t sure what drove the increase, which continues a trend seen in recent years. The COVID-19 pandemic may have played a role, authors of the Pentagon’s annual suicide report said. Military officials …