Military Personnel:
Information on Active Duty Deaths and Survivor Benefits
NSIAD-90-6FS: Published: Oct 20, 1989. Publicly Released: Oct 25, 1989.
Additional Materials:
- Full Report:
Contact:
Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO provided information about: (1) the numbers and causes of deaths among active-duty military personnel between fiscal years (FY) 1980 and 1988; and (2) programs that provide compensation and relief to survivors of deceased military personnel.
GAO found that: (1) a total of 19,716 active-duty military personnel died between FY 1980 and 1988, with hostile action causing 327 deaths, accidents causing 12,271 deaths, illness or disease causing 3,552 deaths, civil homicide causing 1,039 deaths, and suicide causing 2,198 deaths; and (2) the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs and the Social Security Administration had several survivors' compensation and relief programs involving housing allowances, death gratuities, interrment allowances, burial expense assistance, life insurance, dependency and indemnity compensation, health and medical benefits, and educational assistance.
Oct 21, 2020
![defense icon, source: [West Covina, California] Progressive Management, 2008](https://www.gao.gov/images/rip/defense.jpg "defense icon, source: [West Covina, California] Progressive Management, 2008")
Missile Defense:
Observations on Ground-based Midcourse Defense Acquisition Challenges and Potential Contract Strategy ChangesGAO-21-135R: Published: Oct 21, 2020. Publicly Released: Oct 21, 2020.
Oct 7, 2020
-
National Security:
Additional Actions Needed to Ensure Effectiveness of 5G StrategyGAO-21-155R: Published: Oct 7, 2020. Publicly Released: Oct 7, 2020.
Oct 1, 2020
-
Army Modernization:
Army Should Improve Use of Alternative Agreements and Approaches by Enhancing Oversight and Communication of Lessons LearnedGAO-21-8: Published: Oct 1, 2020. Publicly Released: Oct 1, 2020.
Sep 23, 2020
-
Nuclear Weapons:
NNSA Should Further Develop Cost, Schedule, and Risk Information for the W87-1 Warhead ProgramGAO-20-703: Published: Sep 9, 2020. Publicly Released: Sep 23, 2020.
Aug 20, 2020
-
Navy Shipyards:
Actions Needed to Address the Main Factors Causing Maintenance Delays for Aircraft Carriers and SubmarinesGAO-20-588: Published: Aug 20, 2020. Publicly Released: Aug 20, 2020.
Aug 14, 2020
-
GAO Audits Involving DOD:
Status of Efforts to Schedule and Hold Timely Entrance ConferencesGAO-20-690R: Published: Aug 14, 2020. Publicly Released: Aug 14, 2020.
Aug 6, 2020
-
Defense Workforce:
DOD Needs to Assess Its Use of Term and Temporary AppointmentsGAO-20-532: Published: Aug 6, 2020. Publicly Released: Aug 6, 2020. -
Next Generation Combat Vehicles:
As Army Prioritizes Rapid Development, More Attention Needed to Provide Insight on Cost Estimates and Systems Engineering RisksGAO-20-579: Published: Aug 6, 2020. Publicly Released: Aug 6, 2020.
Jul 30, 2020
-
National Nuclear Security Administration:
Information on the Fiscal Year 2021 Budget Request and Affordability of Nuclear Modernization ActivitiesGAO-20-573R: Published: Jul 30, 2020. Publicly Released: Jul 30, 2020.
Jul 27, 2020
-
Climate Resilience:
Actions Needed to Ensure DOD Considers Climate Risks to Contractors as Part of Acquisition, Supply, and Risk AssessmentGAO-20-511: Published: Jun 25, 2020. Publicly Released: Jul 27, 2020.
Looking for more? Browse all our products here
Explore our Key Issues on National Defense
- Countering Overseas Threats
- Department of Energy's Contract Management for the National Nuclear Security Administration and Office of Environmental Management - High Risk Issue
- DOD Approach to Business Transformation - High Risk Issue
- DOD Contract Management - High Risk Issue
- DOD Supply Chain Management - High Risk Issue
- DOD Support Infrastructure Management - High Risk Issue
- DOD Weapon Systems Acquisition - High Risk Issue
- Energy Management in DOD Facilities
- Ensuring the Effective Protection of Technologies Critical to U.S. National Security Interests - High Risk Issue
- Government-wide Personnel Security Clearance Process – High-Risk Issue
- Leading Practices in Acquisition Management
- Military Force Sizing and Organization
- Modernizing the Nuclear Security Enterprise
- NASA Acquisitions - High Risk Issue
- Nuclear Nonproliferation
- Nuclear Waste Disposal
- Unmanned Aircraft Systems
- U.S. Arctic Interests
- U.S. - China Economic and Military Relations
Explore our other Key Issues here
