Leo Sher, M.D.  

On July 31, 2024, the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) released a Report to the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and the House of Representatives entitled, “Report on Incidence of Military Suicides by Military Job Code” (1-3). This report responds to section 599 of the James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year  2023 (Public Law 117–263), which requires the DoD, in coordination with Secretary of Homeland Security, with regards to the Coast Guard, to conduct a review and submit a report on the rates of suicides in the Armed Forces beginning after September 11, 2001 disaggregated by: (1) year; (2) military job code; and (3) whether the member was serving on active duty, in the National Guard or as a member of the Reserve.

According to the Report, the DoD was unable to provide data on suicide deaths prior to 2011 as it did not have a standardized reporting methodology. Between 2011-2022, the DoD identified 5,997 Service members who died by suicide in both Active and Reserve Components (3,665 Active Component and 2,332 in the Reserve Component of which 930 were in the Reserve and 1,402 were in the National Guard (including Service members in an active-duty status and in non-duty status)).

The report identified military jobs with the highest rates of suicide. Enlisted service members with the occupation code 101 (infantry) were found to have higher suicide mortality rates in comparison to service members from 21 other occupation codes. That was followed by service members with the job codes 143 (ordnance disposal and diving), 103 (combat engineering), 130 (medical care) and 149 (“not elsewhere classified” technical specialists, a catch-all term that includes mortuary affairs, firefighters, and nuclear, biological and chemical warfare specialists).

References

1. U.S. Department of Defense. Report on Incidence of Military Suicides by Military Job Code. Report to the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and the House of Representatives. July 2024. URL: https://www.king.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/suicide_report_by_job_code_73024.pdf
2. Lehrfeld J. Pentagon report shows what military jobs have highest suicide rates. Defense News, July 31, 2024. URL: https://www.defensenews.com/news/your-military/2024/07/31/pentagon-report-shows-what-military-jobs-have-highest-suicide-rates/#:~:text=It%20identified%205%2C997%20service%20members,from%2021%20other%20occupation%20codes.
3. Roza D. New DOD suicide report falls short in key areas. Air & Space Forces Magazine, August 2, 2024. URL: https://www.airandspaceforces.com/military-dod-suicide-report-career-field/