The USAF has revealed 11 of 17 deaths on an Oklahoma air base this year were from natural causes - but six remained under investigation.
Tinker Air Force Base has found itself in the spotlight since Military.com confirmed there had been 17 deaths on the base this year, where more than 30,000 service members, government employees, contractors and civilians work.
Most of the 17 who died were civilians, said Colonel Abigail Ruscetta, the 72nd Air Base Wing Commander.
One source told Military.com that some of the deaths were potential suicides, and some were Covid-19-related.
Colonel Abigail Ruscetta, the 72nd Air Base Wing Commander, said on Thursday that 11 of the 17 deaths so far this year were from natural causes
The base, south of Oklahoma City, is where 30,000 people work
'Tinker Air Force Base experienced 17 deaths since January of this year,' said Ruscetta, in a statement to DailyMail.com.
'Eleven of the lost uniformed and civilian Airmen died as a result of natural causes or accidents.
'The six remaining losses are a result of other causes, some of which remain under investigation.'
There are few details about the people who have died at the base. Only an obituary for Senior Airperson Tyler Jo Law, who died on May 28, listed her at the base.
The obituary did not reveal a cause of death. Ruscetta said the Air Force worked to support the friends and relatives of those who have died.
'Each and every death, either by suicide or some other means, is a tragedy,' she said.
'Following each loss of life, leaders from the affected unit engaged with their people to acknowledge the loss of a valued teammate.
'We offered many avenues of support, including a network of helping agencies, mental health counselors, chaplains, and Military Family Readiness professionals.'
Tinker Air Force base is home to 30,000 service members, government employees, contractors and civilians
It's not clear how many of the deaths were service members or what their job was at the base, which has over 30,000 personnel on site
Government employees, contractors and civilians all make up the Oklahoma base's workforce.
A source told Military.com that there were potential COVID-19 deaths in addition to suicides.
'We are deeply saddened by the losses we have experienced at Tinker Air Force Base,' Col. Abby Ruscetta, the installation commander, said in a statement.
'Our focus moving forward is to let everyone know we value them, and we stand together as a team.'
Ann Stefanek, a spokesman for the Air Force, said the Department of Defense is responsible for any statistics highlighting suicides on bases but they are never released with specific numbers pertaining to each military branch.
There is also no law preventing an individual base from releasing numbers of deaths.
Senior Airperson Tyler Jo Law died on the base May 28
Tinker is located in Oklahoma City and also is home to some Naval facilities and the Defense Logistics Agency.
The Air Force reported 17 suicides across the entire force between January 1 and March 31 of this year, according to the Department of Defense.
Kimberly Woodruff, the spokeswoman for the base, said it is 'committed to fostering a culture that values and encourages help-seeking behavior and enhances individual confidence.
'Tinker Air Force Base officials have engaged with our people following the recent losses of life and has a network of helping agencies to include mental health counselors, chaplains, and Military Family Readiness professionals,' she added.
Teri Caserta, an activist on behalf of military families after her son committed suicide in 2018, said she's seen social media posts suggesting a rash of suicides at Tinker.
At least five crewmembers aboard the USS George Washington (pictured) were confirmed to have died by suicide. There have been others who have tried but failed to kill themselves
'Tinker does not have to disclose the names of the airmen/women who have died, but I believe we as citizens who have service members and who have children looking into serving our country deserve to know why and how airmen/women are dying,' Caserta said.
'We need to know that the Air Force takes all deaths as seriously as they claim and, if there is toxicity within the ranks at Tinker, they all should be held accountable for these deaths whether they are suicides or not.'
The Air Force announced two weeks ago that it was updating its mental health policies related to the law named after Caserta's son Brandon, which passed in 2022.
Both the Army and Navy have been upfront about what were described as 'suicide clusters' in recent years.
Last year, the Navy moved 260 sailors off the USS George Washington following multiple deaths and suicides aboard.
In the year before the announcement, the ship had lost seven crewmembers. In April alone, the ship suffered three apparent suicides.
The base also named each of the crew members who had died, in contrast with the levels of transparency shown by the Air Force.
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7pa3IpbCmmZmhe6S7ja6iaKaVrMBwrdGtoJyklWJ%2Bc4CQcW5waV%2BJtq%2B3xKtkeqGiYpOwvsKeZJuZo5p6kLfLmp%2BopZFisaat06GqZ6Ckork%3D