Thanks. I heard Rush talking about that, but did not get the source.
2o years ago I was stationed in the Pentagon, and it was eye opening at how many service members we lost on a daily basis in the course of training and operations. So, a thousand a year is not out of the question. Back then, the Navy seemed to lose someone almost daily, while the Army usually lost them less frequently but in larger numbers at one time.
Being in the military is always a dangerous occupation, even in peacetime. Just training for things like carrier landings, underwater demolition and battle experiences lead to lots of accidents. The DBM never seems interested unless it's a plane crash.