Installations are reporting that hundreds of soldiers who have engaged in substance abuse have not been pushed to seek treatment, according to the Army vice chief of staff.

Gen. Peter Chiarelli wrote in a May 8 memo to Army leaders that soldiers involved in "substance abuse-related misconduct (including multiple positive urinalyses)" were not processed for possible discharge as required under the regulations, USA Today first reported on Thursday.

Many soldiers also were not sent to the Army Substance Abuse Program for help. Army regulations require unit commanders to refer individuals "suspected or identified" as substance abusers to the program’s counseling center for screening. The memo said that there is a shortage of qualified counselors at the installation level and pressed commanders to speed up hiring.

"Our soldiers need this resource and I expect you to provide it for them," Chiarelli wrote.

USA Today reported that in a meeting with top staff officers Monday, Chiarelli said he is most worried that commanders feel pressured to keep their numbers up for combat deployments, something noncommissioned officers told him during recent visits to six Army installations to examine soldiers’ stress and address the record number of Army suicides.

Chiarelli said identifying and treating substance abuse will improve soldiers’ mental health and curb suicides, according to the USA Today report.

The Army had a record 143 confirmed or suspected suicides in 2008.

A military spokeswoman said that among a group of 1,000 soldiers who tested positive for drugs at one installation, 373 had failed the same drug test previously. Other installations reported similar numbers.

In a statement Thursday, Chiarelli stressed that substance abuse is not the sole reason for suicides.

"We are dealing with a tired and stressed force after seven plus years at war," he said in the statement. "That stress manifests itself in many different ways."

He also said his memo was meant to be a reminder of the resources available to deal with substance abuse problems.

"We need to help those struggling with substance abuse; however, when they either refuse help or return to a pattern of abuse after receiving help, we have a responsibility to take action in accordance with regulations," he said.