A Look at U.S. Military Deaths in Iraq

[southernleftylady]

As of Tuesday, Aug. 17, 943 U.S. service members have died since the beginning of military operations in Iraq (news - web sites) in March 2003, according to the Defense Department. Of those, 703 died as a result of hostile action and 240 died of non-hostile causes.
The British military has reported 64 deaths; Italy, 18; Spain, 11; Poland, seven; Bulgaria, six; Ukraine, six; Slovakia, three; Thailand, two; and Denmark, El Salvador (news - web sites), Estonia, Hungary, Latvia and the Netherlands have reported one death each.

Since May 1, 2003, when President Bush (news - web sites) declared that major combat operations in Iraq had ended, 805 U.S. soldiers have died — 594 as a result of hostile action and 211 of non-hostile causes.

Since the start of U.S. military operations in Iraq, 6,497 U.S. service members have been wounded in hostile action, according to the Defense Department's weekly tally.

___ http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20040818/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq_us_deaths&cid=540&ncid=1480

[Name removed]

1. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[HawkerHurricane]

2. I don't know how many drunk driving deaths in Iraq.

Of course, that's leaving out the 15,000 or so dead Iraqis. But they're brown and Muslim, so who cares, right?

[southernleftylady]

3. Why don't you go take a beer for the road on your trip to...

sign up to go to Iraq :) best wishes :)
drunk driving deaths and this war..
its sad when anyone dies for a mistake

[HEyHEY]

5. Welcome - so why don't you go to a combat zone?

If you're such a patriot

[LynnTheDem]

4. Out of date number.

It's 945 US killed, 65 UK killed, 63 "coalition" killed;

total of 1073 troops killed so far.

The wounded 6497 is SERIOUSLY wounded and does not count troops that are in comas and not expected to live. The US brings such troops back to the USA for the families to say goodbye before pulling the plug.

As a side benefit for the military, this also allows them to not report these troops as wounded, or after the plug is pulled, as dead. They "didn't die in Iraq" then, you see.

This also doesn't include the vast number of troops who are sick or injured from non-direct "hostile action". We know of several troops who were killed when they swerved their vehicles to avoid IEDs; the US military lists those deaths as "vehicle accidents".

This also doesn't include the unusually high number of troop suicides, nor troops murdered either in Iraq or when back in the USA.

Actual sick/injured/wounded US troops is estimated to be as high as 40,000.

[BleedingHeartPatriot]

9. I know these numbers are lowballed...

I was active duty for years,and finished my tour shortly before Gulf War I. Several good friends were deployed though, and those in medical MOS's were shocked at the casualty numbers released in the media. They said it was impossible that the number was so low, and described the same sneaky methods the DOD used for calculations that you outlined in your post.

This should be a front page story and leading news story, however, if the media isn't even bothering to report the number of dead in Florida, I guess it's too much to hope they'd work to uncover the true human cost of the war. MKJ

[HEyHEY]

6. Sadly, we'll never understand the gravity of it

I'm sure some of the vets on DU can.

But I hate to say it is so much of a "just numbers" feel over here in the safe zone.

Imagine at 19 laying there dying with a terrible injury.

[southernleftylady]

7. I can not imagine and i still for the life of me can not understand how

military families STILL suport bush??? :shrug:

[HEyHEY]

8. Yeah, it's spooky

The thought of what those kids are going through.

[DoYouEverWonder]

12. For two reasons

Money and loyalty.

Bu$h has given the active duty military a pay raise every year since he took office. Plus the active duty guys love war. They want to go to war. A soldier during peace time is like an athlete that never competes.

Second, Rumsfeld got rid of anyone in the high command that wasn't totally on board with Rummy's agenda. From the top, down the troops are told that Bu$h is good, Kerry is bad. In Iraq, they get their daily dose of FAUX and Rush. What you end up with is a lot of Bu$hbots willing to go anywhere and do whatever they are told to do. It doesn't matter if it not for a very good reason.

[LynnTheDem]

13. Ummm...

As the spouse of an active duty soldier, I gotta reply to your "money" answer with a "ROTFLMAO"!!!

My husband worked 7 days a week for 14 months in Baquoba, Iraq at the TOC (tactical command centre). His monthly pay, including the comabt and hazardous duty pay that bush tried to cut, was a whopping $3100/month. And he's a master sergeant.

As for "loyalty", not so. The hubby's entire unit thinks this invasion was total BS and thinks bushCartel are total assholes.

The troops are in effect DRAFTED. CONSCRIPTED. They CAN'T just quit.

Or they can go AWOL and wind up in a military jail...you think what happened to the innocent Iraqi prisoners in Abu Ghraib was a one-time thing???

NO the active duty guys DO NOT LOVE WAR thank you very much! Some troops are assholes, rapists, murderers, thugs and warmongerers just like the assholes, rapists, murderers, thugs and warmongerers you get in any large group of people.

For your info, the MAJORITY of US troops are NON-COMBAT troops; they signed up as NON-COMBAT troops for NON-COMBAT positions and NEVER expected to be sent to war, so to do the RWW trick of painting all our soldiers with ignorant and totally incorrect remarks such as "active duty guys love war. They want to go to war. A soldier during peace time is like an athlete that never competes." just makes you as bad, as ignorant, and as wrong as rightwingnuts.

[DoYouEverWonder]

15. This is what an active duty Marine told me

This is a young man who use to work for me. His mother still does and he was at my house a few weeks ago.

He saw my talking Bu$h doll, with the hammer attached and wanted to know why I didn't like Bu$h.

He told me he was totally behind Bu$h and one of the big reasons was because of all the raises. I then looked it up on the Internet and indeed Congress has passed a 4% (+ or -) raise every year for the enlisted folks. I don't know whether or not this applies to the National Guard?

I then asked him about Iraq and how could he support someone who lied about going to war. He told me that none of that mattered to him. That he's happy to go wherever they send him and will do whatever he is told.

This young fellow is not an asshole, rapist, murderer, thug or warmonger. He was a very quiet, respectful and reliable employee. I am sure he is the same way has a soldier. He might not be the brightest bulb in the box, but he's basicly a good kid.

There are a couple of other young men that I know who are career types in the military. They feel basically the same way and they do see war has being good for their careers.

Nowhere in my above post did I imply that I agree with or support these sentiments. All I am trying to point out is that there are a fair number of folks in the military who do support Bu$h and some of the reasons why.

[merh]

16. Thanks for clearing that up for me...

I have seen that type of dribble posted on DU before and I have had trouble believing it. I am truly grateful that a spouse of an active duty soldier that served has clearly stated what I have suspected. Even the military distrust this admin and they are doing their jobs because if they don't they will be imprisoned.

Thank you and Welcome to DU :hi:

[LynnTheDem]

17. A few articles from the last couple weeks...

The Writing on the Latrine walls

The Reuters photographer I spoke to couldn't get any soldiers to talk about how they felt when surrounded by their fellow soldiers. "They don't talk in the ranks, or just about anywhere on base," he said. "You have to go out to the latrine area, to the Port-O-Potties. For some reason, they talk there. You can read how they really feel - all the anti-Bush stuff, all the wanting to go home - in the writing on the shithouse walls."

http://www.truthout.org/docs_04/080904A.shtml

Among Troops, Growing Doubts

"I feel deceived personally. I don’t trust anything (Defense Secretary Donald) Rumsfeld says, and I think (Deputy Defense Secretary Paul) Wolfowitz is even dirtier."

http://www.commondreams.org/headlines04/0721-01.htm


Soldiers Use Online Resources to Make Voices Heard

Former Capt. David Chasteen and 1st Lt. Paul Rieckhoff, who is still serving in the Army National Guard, hope to "educate the American public about the truth of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan from the perspective of the soldiers who have experienced them first-hand."

http://www.commondreams.org/headlines04/0812-06.htm

GIs in Iraq are asking: Why are we here?

http://www.iht.com/articles/533600.html

Soldiers tell stories about Iraq

http://www.masslive.com/search/index.ssf?/base/news-7/1090829861233172.xml?n

Many troops have been speaking out against this invasion, against the occupation, against the bushCartel.

As for raises every year, DID YOU KNOW that the US military decided to change their mandatory PT (physical training) outfits to a DESIGNER label and the troops HAD TO PAY for entire new sets, at $125 per set.

DID YOU KNOW the troops have to BUY ALL THEIR OWN UNIFORMS at $75/set of BDUs; boots at $60 each for the cheap pair?

Dress blues will soon be mandatory, which each soldier will have to PAY FOR THEMSELVES at $450.

Now that my hubby isn't in combat, his net pay is $2600/month. We have NO CHOICE about where we live, so we can't just move to a less expensive state or area. (No, we don't all live free on US military bases; Ft Hood, the largest base in the free world, has a 3+ year waiting list to get on-base. While you wait to maybe someday get on-post housing, you pay rent, utilities, etc off-post.)

We do ok, because we can manage on $2600/mth (barely). But my hubby is an NCO.

Let's think about the majority of active duty troops; privates. Their base pay hovers in the $1000/mth bracket. Imagine if they have any children to support, or other family members. They STILL have to fork over money to pay for their OWN UNIFORMS.

And EVERY TIME the US military decides to make changes to any of the US uniforms, be they for PT, or BDUs, or dress, the TROOPS have to BUY THEIR OWN.

And you really can't get by on say one PT set...unless you have the time & ability to wash that set every single day.

Add to that, the troops DO NOT work an 8 hour day. An average workday begins at 6.30AM and ends at 5.00 PM. But if there's work to be done and you're ordered to remain on duty for 24 hours or 48 hours, then you remain on duty for 24 hours or 48 hours. And there's no overtime pay.

Most of our troops are below the US poverty line; many of our troops are on food stamps.

If troops were truly "volunteer" right now, and allowed to just quit, we'd see over half the US military quitting.

"Money and loyalty" my arse. It's called CONSCRIPTION.


Edited to say; thanks for the howdy! :hi:

[LynnTheDem]

10. PBS documentary (that was banned by most US channels)

Hidden Casualties; The Cost of War

Thousands of injured and ill soldiers from Iraq and Afghanistan are not being counted in the Pentagon's official tally of the wounded because they are considered "non-hostile" casualties. Some say that if they were included, it would triple the total casualty count. The Pentagon claims that until NOW's request, it hadn't been asked for those numbers. But, critics say these often debilitating injuries are not being reported in order to keep Americans from getting a clear picture of the human cost of war.

NOW's Michele Mitchell profiles some of these soldiers who may spend the rest of their lives scarred and disabled, but whose sacrifices are not being counted by the nation they served.

http://www.pbs.org/now/society/casualties.html

'Staggering': Medical Evacuations from Iraq Near 11,000 (and this was as of Dec 19, 2003!)

http://www.commondreams.org/headlines03/1219-09.htm

Thousands of US troops evacuated from Iraq for unexplained medical reasons

The Washington Post article did not include any further information on what is a staggering admission by the military. At no point in the last six months have the American people been told that for every soldier who has been killed in Iraq, at least another 15 have fallen so ill that they had to be flown back to the United States. The Post described the unexplained evacuations simply as the “thousands who became physically or mentally ill”.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A12096-2003Sep1.html

http://www.wsws.org/articles/2003/sep2003/wia-s09.shtml

[BleedingHeartPatriot]

11. kick,

This is unacceptable. Is there any way an independent clearinghouse website or 800 phone number could be set up to allow families to report the true numbers? We are being duped again by BFEE, and this time it is the lives of soldiers that have been manipulated for political gain. MKJ

edited for grammer

[LiberalManiacfromOC]

14. I'm lost for words

Absolutley devastating.....

And the toll on Iraqi civilians is so much worse...