VERY Surprising Military Death Statistics, 1980 - 2007

Congressional Research Reports (Extracted ) ^

[InfantryMarine]

Military Death Numbers compiled by a friend from DOD reports.

Below is some very interesting data reference deaths in the military. I guarantee you will not read this in your local newspaper nor will you see it on the daily news broadcast. I pray this will help you to enlighten folks around you to the brave and courageous young people serving in our military.

Deaths in the Military

1980 .......... 2,392

1981 .......... 2,380

1982 ......... 2,318

1983 .......... 2,465

1984 .......... 1,999

1985 .......... 2,252

1986 .......... 1,984

1987 .......... 1,983

1988 ......... 1,819

1989 .......... 1,636

1990 .......... 1,508

1991 .......... 1,787

1992 .......... 1,293

1993 .......... 1,213

1994 ......... 1,075

1995 .......... 1,040

1996 .......... 974

1997 .......... 817

1998 .......... 826

1999 .......... 795

2000 ......... 774

2001 .......... 890

2002 .......... 1,007

2003 .......... 1,410 [534*]

2004 .......... 1,887 [900*]

2005 .......... [919*]

2006 .......... [920*]

Figures so noted with an asterisk (*) indicates deaths as a result of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom.

You may initially feel confused when you look at these figures - especially when you see that in 1980, during the term of President Jimmy Carter,there were 2,392 US military fatalities. What this clearly indicates is that our media and our liberal politicians pick and choose and tend to present only those facts that support their agenda driven reporting.

Another fact our left media and politicians like to slant is that these brave men and women losing their lives are minorities.

Wrong again.

The latest census shows the following:

European descent (white).........69.12%

Hispanic.........................12.5%

African American.................12.3%

Asian.............................3.7%

Native American...................1.0%

Other.............................2.6%

The fatalities over the past three years in Iraqi Freedom are:

European descent (white)........ 74.31%

Hispanic.........................10.74%

African American..................9.67%

Asian.............................1.81%

Native American...................1.09%

Other.............................2.33%

Source:

These statistics are published by DOD and may be viewed at:

http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/natsec/RL32492.pdf

Pass this on,Semper Fi

[ga medic]

Also, there are about 6 million more people in California. Maybe more now that so many have left Iraq.

[Smartaleck]

Did you try looking in the report?

1986 2,359,855
2006 1,664,014

[Doe Eyes]

The accidental deaths, deaths from illness, and self inflicted deaths have remained fairly constant.

Accidental deaths in 1980 - 1556; in 2006 - 465.

Deaths due to illness in 1980 - 419; in 2006 - 205.

Self inflicted deaths in 1980 - 213; in 2006 - 155.

[JLS]

Thanks. I am of the view that both the raw numbers and percentages matter.

[ga medic]

I was responding to the comment about between the Bush and Clinton years, not back to 1980. However, if you take into account there were 2.1 million military in 1980, and 1.6 million in 2006, that explains part of the apparent difference. There have also been a lot of medical advances in the past 25 years which account for another part of the difference.

My point was that there isn’t any way that any president can prevent people from dying in accidents or from illnesses. If there was, then I would think he/she would have a pretty good case for becoming and remaining president forever.

[TN4Liberty]

No. The numbers are meaningless unless you know the number of people in the military each year.

The number of active duty military fatalities not meaningless. The percentage of military personnel who died is not meaningless. They are both important to answering different questions, addressing different issues.

No one is saying that people aren't dying in Iraq. What they are saying is that the numbers of military deaths are not unpredicented, even in peacetime. If you are trying to answer a different question, you analyze the data differently.

Sometimes rates matter more than absolute numbers. Sometimes they don't.

[alrea]

Also I can’t remember a single newscast during the Clinton years that started off each and every time telling us how many died today or yesterday.

it was more dangerous to be associated with president clinton than it is to be in iraq

[raygunfan]

good ammo

[Young Werther]

When you look at the statistics for everyday on-the-job accidents you will find that the percentages for the civilian and military sector are about the same. The main contributing factor is "not following instructions!"

While stationed at Minot in the early 70s tis ws proven true on three separate occassions.

A B-52 crashed on take-off. One of seven crewmembers survived. Investigation showed that the fueling plan had not been followed and too much fuel was pumped into the aft fuel tank. The co-pilot whose checklist job includes fueling parameters did not correct this situation by pumping fuel into the forward tank. He was the one survivor and the accident investigation pointed out his failure. Results six dead!

A Huey that was tranporting six Security Police to a launch control center crashed. Seven Dead! What happened? The baggage compartment wash not propery closed. The door came off in flight and struck the rear rotor. Pilot lost control and the ship crashed!

A B-52 was being refueled and caught fire and blew up. Why. The refueling chief was sitting in the cockpit SMOKING! Nearby aircraft were waved because the refueling crews manned the flight line fire extinguishers. The only fatality was the smokin' fool and he is probably still smokin' in hell!

The propoganda pulsating from the pusillanemous press is PHOOEY!

[ASOC]

I’ll back up your “run over by tanks”

I went TDY to Ft Hood (a place in Texas, not hell) for a mixed force exercise in 1973 (yes, I am that old) and were told repeatedly to be very careful on where we chose to sleep - to avoid being run over by a tank/APC. We chose to sleep on top on my Mk-45 commo van.

Further, while we were there, a body, in a sleeping bag (and yes, it was in a rut from a tracked vehicle) was discovered. The soldier had gone missing on an earlier exercise (over a year prior) and with little investigation, he was listed as a deserter.

The war in RVN, rampart drug use and a host of other issues all contributed to the death rate.

And yes, stupidity can be fatal.

Anecdotes do not equal data, I know.

[ASOC]

I’ll back up your “run over by tanks”

I went TDY to Ft Hood (a place in Texas, not hell) for a mixed force exercise in 1973 (yes, I am that old) and were told repeatedly to be very careful on where we chose to sleep - to avoid being run over by a tank/APC. We chose to sleep on top on my Mk-45 commo van.

Further, while we were there, a body, in a sleeping bag (and yes, it was in a rut from a tracked vehicle) was discovered. The soldier had gone missing on an earlier exercise (over a year prior) and with little investigation, he was listed as a deserter.

The war in RVN, rampart drug use and a host of other issues all contributed to the death rate.

And yes, stupidity can be fatal.

Anecdotes do not equal data, I know.

[plain talk]

In looking at statistics over time one must look at percentages. That allows for an apples to apples comparison over different time periods. I think that is all he was saying.

[plain talk]

Thanks - that helps place these numbers in proper context.

[shield]

bfl

[plain talk]

It is just simple math and with out knowing the total number of deaths and the population the numbers are meaningless.

That is correct. Some people perhaps didn't go to college or are not too bright on math and statistics.

[gitmo]

Bookmark

[Normal4me]

But the bumperstickers said “Clinton lied and no one died”. Well, except for those 8033 service members.....Give Bush a chance to tie Clinton, he still has a year left in office.

[Beckwith]

And Clinton reduced the military 40% with his 1993 Reduction in Forces Act.

[L98Fiero]

“In looking at statistics over time one must look at percentages. That allows for an apples to apples comparison over different time periods.”

For the record, The highest math I took in college was Discrete Structures, after Calculus IV. That is, if you don’t count Advanced Physics.

We are not examining ratios, relationships or percentages. We are counting the number, the NUMBER, of dead service-members and comparing them from year to year.

What percentage the deceased makeup of the armed forces is not the the topic here. It is the NUMBER of service-people killed in peacetime compared to the NUMBER of service-people killed during wartime.

This is not statistics, it is an examination of public record.

[L98Fiero]

“Some people perhaps didn’t go to college or are not too bright on math and statistics.”

Given that I could have minored in Mathematics by the time I was a junior and your horriibly flawed arguments regarding this piece, I feel very comfortable in saying you have no idea what the hell you are talking about.