Hill Air Force Base leaders say the loss of five civilian workers to suicide in 2008 was a wake-up call. The grim tally -- the most self-inflicted deaths in at least a decade at a base -- prompted military officials to re-evaluate support services offered to struggling base workers.

But it's clear that changes have not had the intended effect. Hill officials this week acknowledged that a civilian employee's June 28 death has been ruled a suicide, bringing to at least five the number of workers who have killed themselves -- just halfway through 2009.

That places the rate of suicides among Hill's civilian employees at least four times higher than the rate in Utah -- a state that already suffers a significantly higher-than-average number of self-inflicted deaths.

The latest suicide occurred a week before Brig. Gen. Andrew Busch took charge of the Ogden Air Logistics Center, the largest military command at Hill and the unit whose members comprise almost all of the base's 19 suicides since 2006.

The general's representatives on Friday said he was unavailable to comment, but in a speech at his July 2 change-of-command ceremony, Busch said he would do everything in his power to end the problem.

But Busch also said he didn't intend to make "any major changes" to the policies of departing commander Maj. Gen. Kathleen Close.

Close and her representatives have repeatedly said they do not believe that the command's work climate has been a key factor in the rash of suicides -- a contention that many family members, friends and co-workers of the victims dispute.

Base officials are also advising workers who believe they or their colleagues are at risk of suicide to visit www.FOH4you.com or call 800-222-0364.

mlaplante@sltrib.com / blogs.sltrib.com/military