The Department of Defense Medical Mortality Registry

Abstract

The Department of Defense Medical Mortality Registry is being implemented at the Office of the Armed Forces Medical Examiner, Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, providing the first comprehensive medical mortality surveillance for the Department of Defense. The Registry attempts to obtain complete medical and circumstantial information on every military active duty death for medical surveillance and prevention research. Medical records, autopsy reports, eyewitness accounts, and investigative reports are reviewed to validate and synthesize medical, circumstantial, and risk factor information on each death. All military active duty deaths since 1980 are currently identified and classified by manner of death (accident, suicide, homicide, illness, hostile, undetermined). Military death rates have decreased during the past two decades by nearly half. About three-quarters of military deaths are attributable to injury (accident, suicide, homicide). The Registry creates new opportunities for prevention-oriented research as it collects detailed information on every military death.