Have you ever contemplated suicide while in the service or after and why?

Yes, a long time ago while stationed at Bragg when I was active duty. There's a lot I could say and a lot that ought to be said.

First, a huge shout out to all the groups that host a 20-22 mile ruck every year. We used to call it "Ruck for Honor", but the name changed for some reason (https://chicagovets.org/chicago-veterans-ruck-march-2019/). Most everyone has heard about the 22 a day number (last year a new VA study changed it to 20) and each mile is for each person. It's a great gig that gets veterans together and raises awareness.

I was 21, with 75+ hour weeks, in a unit with a lot of EO problems. Army life is hard, but I made it harder by dating the wrong kind of woman. It was a BAD relationship. Eventually, she started sleeping around with other guys and I broke apart one night when I caught her. I felt like shit and couldn't imagine having to put in the hours for another week. As I was heading back to base, I really wanted to drive my truck off the side of the road. I remember my goal was to do whatever it took to put myself in the ER for a while. If I died, oh well. Can you imagine? How did it ever to get to that point, in garrison? I was extremely broken and without answers, but to be so reckless with my life? I don't think it was that big of deal, rather, that night was just the last straw that finally broke my back.

I made it to my buddy's place and we checked into the hospital. Things were taken care of from there. I feel that I was being pushed so damn hard, with so little respect by a lot of my NCOs, and such a dim hope for any brighter future, that when my personal life fell apart my whole being fell apart. I just wanted to check out. It was a rough 3 months after that night, things didn't get easier. I picked up smoking, I drank, took therapy, and I became a miserable and angry person.

I did not fully recover from my time at Bragg until 4 or 5 years later. I couldn't sleep well for years. Every night was rough for me. I know most all of us lose sleep, it comes with the job. But it amazed me how long the pain stuck with me. I look back and notice this slow and gradual deterioration of myself and others in my unit, and how a number of events pushed several of us over the edge.

Now, I had a good amount of shitty leadership, but I am not dumping the blame on others. What I am saying is that in hindsight I can see the value of a compassionate, professional, and invested leader that takes care of soldiers while working them to death. I do credit the Army for the mental health training that was going on during the time. We were all getting told that asking for help isn't a weakness, and I really bought it. I remember my buddy telling me that my suicidal thoughts scared the shit out of him. He thought I was the strongest person he ever met, and to see him outside his door that night, such a miserable mess, made him feel that if it could happen to me it could happen to him.

Since then, I have spent a significant amount of time studying ethics and compassionate leadership, but I don't believe an RP comment is the appropriate place for a lot of academic talk. I do want to share a great article though, about Maj. Gen. Pittard and his work with suicide.

https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2017/03/the-general-who-went-to-war-on-suicide-214923

You do know that roughly between 20-22 vets commit suicide every day and 1 active duty member. Since the VA started tracking in 1999- we have lost over 150k veterans and over 7k active,.

No and no, but I've sat up many a night listening to Soldiers and steering them away from it and then taking them to professional help. Leaders have to be approachable enough that Soldiers will call you if they have problems.
One thing that troubles me is that we have lost more Soldiers to suicide from the unit I served as CSM to during two combat tours, then we lost to enemy action. We lost one down range to suicide from a good unit with a positive command climate that took everyone by surprise to include his battle buddy. Plus five others as veterans now that I know of , one wasn't a surprise as they had alcohol, discipline and drug issues while on active duty (doesn't make their loss any less meaningful but when you get the call; it's not a shock). The other four were solid Soldiers, NCOs and family men. With the exception of the Soldier down range the others all had multiple combat tours (2) with me to Iraq and then others later.
My only suggestion is to make yourself available and be as good a friend, leader and Soldier as you can be and be ready to help folks when and if they ask or need it.