This article compares suicide rates among veterans & nonveterans in Washington State. The number of suicides were obtained from the Washington State Department of Health for 2000-2006. Rates were not calculated for women because there were few suicides in the veteran group. Suicide rates for male veterans, aged 18-44, fluctuated from a a high of 47.5 per 100,000 in 2002 to a low of 26.0 per 100,000 in 2006. Rates for nonveterans were much lower & remained stable at about 22 per 100,000 during the 7-year period. Increases in the suicide rate in the middle age group & the high rate in the oldest group suggest that identifying & providing care for veterans who at increased risk will be challenging as most do not receive care from the Veterans’ Affairs Department. (2 refs.)