The U.S. Coast Guard recorded 76 suicides from 2014–2024, with 14 occurring in 2024 — the highest annual total in the decade. The increase coincided with a modest drop in active-duty strength to about 39,000. The Coast Guard does not publish annual suicide rates or detailed demographics, citing small counts and privacy concerns. Officials say the service has expanded prevention efforts, including annual training and a December 2024 stand-down that highlighted an app and the Columbia Protocol.
US Coast Guard Records 14 Suicides in 2024 — Highest Annual Total in a Decade
Coast guard members at Base Kodiak participate in an Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training course, Aug. 27, 2024. (PA3 Cameron Snell/Coast Guard)
Seventy-six members of the U.S. Coast Guard died by suicide between 2014 and 2024, with 14 of those deaths — nearly one-fifth of the decade total — occurring in 2024, according to data released July 16 at the request of Military Times.
Suicide counts among active-duty personnel and activated reservists fluctuated across the 2014–2024 period. The fewest annual deaths — three — were recorded in both 2018 and 2021, while the highest totals were 12 in 2022 and 14 in 2024.
Context and Trends
The 2024 increase came as the Coast Guard’s active-duty ranks declined slightly amid recruiting shortfalls. In 2024 the service had about 39,000 active-duty members, compared with roughly 43,000 in 2014, according to the Government Accountability Office.
The Department of Defense publishes an annual report on suicides across the military, analyzing rates by service, demographics and trends to inform prevention efforts. The Coast Guard is not included in the DoD report because it falls under the Department of Homeland Security.
According to a Pentagon report released earlier in 2025, 471 service members across the armed forces took their own lives in 2024, down from 531 in 2023. The combined suicide rate for active duty, Reserve and National Guard members declined by nearly five percentage points from 2023 to 2024, but the rate for the active component rose — a trend analysts said mirrored increases seen in comparable U.S. population groups.
Why the Coast Guard Limits Public Data
The Coast Guard does not publish an annual breakdown of suicides within its ranks, nor does it routinely report suicide rates or detailed demographic information. In a July 2024 report to Congress, officials argued that calculating rates from "relatively low suicide death counts" produces figures that are "highly sensitive to small changes over time" and therefore unreliable for comparisons within or between groups. They also said small counts increase the risk that published demographic details could lead to identification of the deceased.
Prevention Efforts and Internal Actions
Rear Adm. Chuck Fosse, deputy commandant for personnel, told Military Times that every Coast Guard member receives annual suicide-prevention training. He said the service held a service-wide stand-down in December 2024 to highlight prevention resources and provide additional training. The event emphasized a suicide-prevention mobile app, the Columbia Protocol, and strategies for intervention and support.
"Every suicide is a tragedy that deeply affects our Coast Guard family. The Coast Guard remains committed to reducing suicide risk through prevention, early intervention, and ensuring members and dependents have access to the support and care they need," Rear Adm. Chuck Fosse said.
Calls for Greater Transparency
Some Coast Guard members and observers have urged more timely and consistent notifications within the service after a suicide. In an August 2022 piece for the U.S. Naval Institute's Proceedings, Lt. (j.g.) Riley Cassidy described difficulty finding closure after the death of a friend, Ensign Theodore Frisk, and urged the service to create a system to notify commands promptly so they can support affected personnel and families.
Cassidy wrote that lack of formal notification and management of rumors hindered healing and access to resources: "Timeliness is critical to give commanding officers and officers in charge information on the incident and identify service members at their units who may be affected."
Specific Inquiries: Cutter Eagle
Military Times asked the Coast Guard about circulating reports that two suicides occurred in 2025 aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Eagle, a three-masted sailing barque homeported in New London, Connecticut, which took part in America 250 events earlier in the summer. Coast Guard officials denied those reports, saying the Eagle has had one suicide in the past five years, which occurred in September 2022.
What This Means
The decade-long tally and the 2024 spike highlight continuing concerns about suicide in uniformed services, even as overall military suicide numbers fell in 2024. The Coast Guard emphasizes prevention training, privacy and the limits of small-sample statistics while some service members call for clearer communication and support after losses.
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