Any military officer is trained in tooth to tail ratio, which has varied through the years. Current modern norms about 15%. Down from the 20s in the World War years.
Meaning, of a troop deployment 15% are in combat. 85% are behind the lines logistics. Far more logistics people are required for one combat troop now than in the 1900s, when equipment was simpler and less things needed replacing.
Logistics people remain at about 20% of the risk of the front line. Everyone always wants to hit logistics, but the equipment, not the people. Hitting the people would be a failure of the munition whose purpose was to destroy equipment.
And so, if the quote is accurate (I saw no video of his alleged quote), then 15% of the 700K are at risk at any point in time. 105K casualties at risk at any point in time.
The numbers splashed are in conflict with this. There are not enough people at risk to generate quoted casualties, and if hit, the 105K number reduces available targets until rotation, which doesn’t happen the next day.
Good post.
I would add, warfare has changed, in a big way. Drones and robots are the future.
The days of large mechanized tanks and Infantry Fighting Vehicles sweeping across battlefields are gone.
Precision strikes are the way of warfare now.