IRIA News

A United States Department of Defense report, mandated by Congress, shows military suicide rates by career field, providing a rare insight into the comparative risk factors for service members. The report identified a total of 5,997 service members who died by suicide between 2011 and 2022.

The Pentagon report has analyzed suicide rates within the U.S. Armed Forces from 2011 to 2022, identifying trends across various military occupational specialties (MOS). This report aims to address the increasing concern about suicide within the military community by providing data-driven insights and recommendations to help lawmakers and the Pentagon develop targeted policies to mitigate suicide risks.

Among the total 5,997 suicides, 3,665 personnel were active duty, 930 Reserve, and 1,402 National Guard troops. The report’s primary focus was to analyze the correlation between suicide rates and specific military occupational specialties. It found that enlisted service members in certain job codes were at significantly higher risk compared to others.

Troops in the infantry, diving, and explosive ordnance fields had higher suicide rates, ranging roughly between 30 and 35 per 100,000.

The report suggests that enlisted service members with occupation code 101 (infantry) were found to have higher suicide mortality rates than those from 21 other occupation codes. Following the infantry, service members with job codes 143 (ordnance disposal and diving), 103 (combat engineering), 130 (medical care), and 149 (technical specialists “not elsewhere classified”) also exhibited higher suicide rates.

Furthermore, the report highlighted that 14 occupation codes showed evidence of higher suicide mortality rates compared to the civilian U.S. adult population. The three codes with the highest adjusted rates were 101 (infantry), 102 (armor and amphibious), and 103 (combat engineering).

In contrast, certain occupational codes showed lower suicide rates than the broader military population. Enlisted troops in occupation codes 195 (not occupationally qualified) and 191 (officer candidates and students) had a lower suicide rate than 38 other occupation codes. This trend was also observed in occupation codes 153 (data processing) and 115 (ADP computers), suggesting that these roles might be associated with less stress or different support systems compared to high-risk occupations.

Service-specific findings

The Army showed significant variations in suicide rates across different occupational specialties. Soldiers in the infantry, combat engineering, and armament and munitions roles had notably higher suicide mortality rates than the total enlisted Army population. Conversely, those in data processing, other functional support roles, and officer candidates and students had lower rates. The report also noted that Army tank brigades experienced a suicide rate twice as high as the rest of the active-duty force between 2019 and 2021.

In the Navy, sailors in law enforcement (occupation code 183) exhibited a higher suicide mortality rate than the total enlisted Navy rate. The Marine Corps data indicated that Marines in the infantry (code 101) had a higher suicide rate than the total enlisted Marine Corps rate, while those not occupationally qualified (code 195) had a lower rate.

The Air Force presented a more consistent picture, with all occupation codes showing suicide mortality rates in line with the total enlisted Air Force rate, except for those in the not occupationally qualified category (code 195), which had a lower rate.

The Coast Guard’s data was less conclusive due to relatively low suicide death counts per year, ranging from 4 to 14 total events annually. This low incidence rate made comparative analysis challenging. Additionally, the Coast Guard does not currently collect data on a member’s occupation at the time of death, further limiting the ability to incorporate Coast Guard suicide and occupational data into the report. The Space Force, established in 2019, was excluded from the analysis since there were no deaths by suicide in the service between 2019 and 2022.

The identification of high-risk occupations such as infantry, ordnance disposal, and combat engineering underscores the need for focused mental health interventions and support systems within these roles. Meanwhile, understanding the factors contributing to lower suicide rates in certain occupations can offer strategies for broader application across the military. As the challenge of reducing suicide within the military community continues, this report serves as a vital tool in developing effective measures to save lives and support service members.