Over 6% of initially deployed soldiers killed or wounded in Iraq

[WonderGrunion]

This is based on the initial deployment figures of 230,521 American troops.
The department of defense officially confirms at this time that 1695 soldiers have been killed and 12,855 have been wounded.
What other job in the US has that high an injury rate?

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

1. If I might make so bold...

It is war. Wars exist to make people die. OSHA has no effect in the grand scheme of things.

That said, it is a bitter waste of beautiful and noble men and women. Any one of them could carry in them the seed to transform this nation in positive ways we cannot imagine. War is a waste of resources. Human resources. Especially this one.

Those young men and women deserve so much better.

I grew up during the Vietnam era. I saw, first hand, the long-term toll on this nation. Trust me, it is very long-term. The recessions of the 70s were a direct result of the war. Since then, the fundamental economic changes that have occurred in this nation only will serve to create something far more destructive to the socio-economic fabric of this nation.

Remember: This administration is The Return of The Nixonians. They have learned their lessons well. They are better at it nnow and they desire revenge. Against us. All of us. The citizenry. The one-fodder units. They had us on the brink of violence before. They will again, I predict, as the national mood grows uglier(as reflected in polls) and as people wake up to the realities. If the housing/credit bubble starts to lose air, and it will very soon, that will likely provide a significant tipping point.

The biggest difference is that now, we no longer have popular media covering the fundamentals in any honest manner. Back then, we at least had that.

[Ravenseye]

2. Yeah

War does one thing well. Kill people. It should be used very sparingly and only when there is no other option.

Not for pre-emptive attacks on the president's father's nemesis based on rigged and fixed intelligence and outright lies.

[catmandu57]

3. I asked the question a couple of years back

What is the level of loss before it's felt. I wastold that a military unit would begin feeling pain on 10% loss. This was for the entire structure not individual units, but, the same numbers apply.
So, were now at 6% and it appears that momentum has shifted to the other side.
There are draft whispers right now, they'll get louder as we move towards the 10% pain level.

[Patty Diana]

4. What about all those who will die of Depleted Uranium exposure