Unusually High Number of Suicides at NSA Prompts Scrutiny

White House staff and congressional committees have sought answers from the National Security Agency and U.S. Cyber Command over a series of suicides.

At least 11 people working for the two organizations died by suicide in the 12 months through September, Bloomberg reported, citing U.S. officials and public records.

The military classified five of the deaths, which occurred between early June and early July, as a suicide cluster, Bloomberg reported.

Congressional committees overseeing the military and intelligence agencies received briefings after those deaths.

NSA Deputy Director Tim Kosiba briefed White House staff in August, an official told Bloomberg.

Ten of the deaths occurred in the area around Fort Meade, Maryland, where both organizations are based, and one occurred near an NSA facility in Georgia, an official said.

The tally includes military personnel, civilians and contractors.

A Pentagon spokesperson said the military publishes suicide figures by service branch and did not provide historical totals for either organization.

Some of the deaths remain under investigation.

Officials told Bloomberg that agency leaders described a range of circumstances in the briefings, including personal and financial difficulties in some cases.

Rest Rules and Mental Health Staffing

Intelligence and cyber personnel can spend long shifts in secure facilities.

Bloomberg previously reported that the U.S. war with Iran and other foreign conflicts had increased the workload.

“The pace of operations right now at both NSA and Cyber Command can be overwhelming,” Harry Coker Jr., a former senior executive at the NSA and Central Intelligence Agency, told Bloomberg.

Gen. Joshua Rudd, who leads both organizations, requested $11 million in April to address mental health needs among cyber personnel.

Lawmakers urged approval in two letters in October.

After the summer deaths, Rudd directed that cyber staff receive eight uninterrupted hours of rest in every 24-hour period and work no more than 12 consecutive hours without a waiver, three officials said.

The NSA and Cyber Command also expanded an agreement that allows military and civilian employees to use both organizations’ health services, an official said.

Cyber Command has added a psychologist, a clinical social worker and two chaplains after stepping up work with the Defense Health Agency, officials said.

The Walter Reed Army Institute of Research is assessing working conditions at the command.

Rep. Sarah Elfreth, a Maryland Democrat who signed both funding letters, said the review is also examining how many mental health providers the two organizations need.

Spokespeople for the NSA and Cyber Command said the organizations were coordinating suicide prevention with the armed services and providing care inside secure workspaces.