As part of the U.S. military’s ongoing efforts to stem suicide in the ranks, the Navy and Marine Corps are partnering with the Department of Veterans Affairs to distribute 200,000 gun locks to installations nationwide.The gun locks can be picked up at VA facilities across the country, as well as at local Fleet and Family Support Centers and Marine Corps Community Services locations.The thought behind the program is to put up a barrier between a person’s suicidal impulse and taking action on that impulse, according to a Navy releaseIn some cases, it can take less than 10 minutes for someone to think about suicide and then act upon it, according to the Navy.RELATED“Research tells us that putting time and distance between an at-risk individual and a means of suicide is an effective way to prevent suicide,” Andrea Goldstein, the acting director of the Department of the Navy’s Office of Force Resiliency, said in the release.“We are grateful to the VA for their partnership and providing this tool for our Sailors and Marines.”Owning a gun doesn’t cause someone to be suicidal, but research has shown that storing a loaded firearm at home may increase the risk of death by suicide, according to the release."