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During WW2, American B-17 bomber crews stationed in England in 1942, (the Eighth Air Force,) lost 7 percent of its bombers on raids. Such high attrition rates meant the average bomber crew of ten could expect to survive only 14 or 15 missions. Unfortunately, the standard tour of duty at that time was 25 missions!

Yet, today, our troops are actually safer in Iraq than citizens in the United States!

Impossible you say?

Our CONFIRMED number of U.S. dead in the twelve days of the war: 40 (2 by the grenade frag attack)

Just for reference, in the 1991 Gulf war we had 148 battle deaths, 145 nonbattle deaths, 467 wounded in action. We had more than 500,000 troops in theater for about 180 days. 129 of those fatalities were in one Scud missile strike on a barracks in Saudi Arabia. Without that one incident, our troops would have had a lower mortality rate than civilians at home.

In 1999, the CDC said the average mortality rate for all Americans was 877 per 100,000. The U.S. Census Bureau says there are currently about 290 million people in the U.S. We take 290,000,000 / 100,000 = 2,900, then multiply by 877 = 2,543,300 deaths per annum / 365 days = 6,968 deaths per day, more than a few of them in violent, bloody, murders.

So the expected mortality for the 400,000 soldiers in Iraq and Kuwait, as well as on the ships, would be a little more than 9 1/2 per day (6,968/290,000,000*400,000 = 9.61) Right now, at 40 in 12 days, we're averaging "only" 3.33 per day. That's almost three times better than the mortality of stateside Americans!

If you just watched ABCCBSCNNNBC and listened to Peter Arnett, you'd think we were still flying B-17s against the Luftwaffe.

Thanks for posting this data. I got something similiar from a Doctor friend, and I couldn't find it.

In 1999, the CDC said the average mortality rate for all Americans was 877 per 100,000. The U.S. Census Bureau says there are currently about 290 million people in the U.S. We take 290,000,000 / 100,000 = 2,900, then multiply by 877 = 2,543,300 deaths per annum / 365 days = 6,968 deaths per day, more than a few of them in violent, bloody, murders.

So the expected mortality for the 400,000 soldiers in Iraq and Kuwait, as well as on the ships, would be a little more than 9 1/2 per day (6,968/290,000,000*400,000 = 9.61). Right now, at 40 in 12 days, we're averaging "only" 3.33 per day. That's almost three times better than the mortality of stateside Americans!

I'm not surprised by the numbers you've put out. I am surprised at all of the reporters who like to keep their finger on the panic button.

I've been trying to follow the SARS stories closely, and I'm sure the panic button is is right there under their sticky fingers also.