DOD Report Shows Which Jobs Have Highest Suicide Risk

August 1, 2024

A newly released DOD report breaks down the service member suicide rate by job classification, showing that those who are routinely subjected to blasts are among the most at risk of dying by suicide, as The New York Times reported.

“These key findings show trends that will guide the DOD in its efforts to curb suicide rates and hopefully save lives,” Sen. Angus King (I-Maine), an Armed Services Committee member, said in a press release. King requested the public release of the report, which Congress mandated DOD to complete. He said the idea for the report came from a veteran in his state.

“The report finds that enlisted service members with the occupation code 101 (Infantry) had higher suicide mortality rates than those from 21 other occupation codes,” King noted. “The Infantry code was followed by service members with the occupation code 143 (ordnance disposal and diving) and occupation code 103 (combat engineers). Medical care specialists and non-identified technical specialists followed.”

DOD said in the report’s cover letter that it’s based on data going back to 2011, when the Pentagon began more carefully tracking suicide data.

Army photo by Capt. Daniel Parker

August 1, 2024

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