Military Personnel

Information on Active Duty Deaths and Survivor Benefits Gao ID: NSIAD-90-6FS October 20, 1989

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.



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