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| Iraq-Jordan |
| Odd Casualty Patterns in Iraq |
| 2005-01-07 |
| January 7, 2005: American casualties in Iraq have shown some unusual patterns, at least compared to previous wars. Accidents account for 18 percent of the deaths. However, the number of accidental deaths has been steadily declining, from a peak of 31 in May, 2003. Ten percent of all deaths have been caused by vehicle accidents, and 71 percent of those were single vehicle accidents. Iraqi drivers are particularly aggressive, and traffic rules are rarely obeyed. Rollovers accounted for 54 percent of vehicle deaths. The poor condition of the roads was a major factor in 30 percent of the traffic accidents. Blast injuries (from roadside bombs and shells) was the major cause of 40 percent of all deaths, while bullets and shell fragments were the major cause for another 29 percent. Four percent of deaths were caused by drowning. Central Iraq is a very wet place. This was also the first war were the lowest ranking troops did not account for the largest share of the deaths. In Iraq, junior NCOs (ranks E-4 to E-6) accounted for 56 percent of deaths, while the lowest ranks (E-1 to E-3) accounted for 28 percent. Officers accounted for 11 percent of all deaths. This pattern reflects the demographics of the all-volunteer armed forces, which is an older force (average age of the dead was 26, and 43 percent were married.) The reservists, who comprise 22 percent of the dead, also tend to be older. |
| Posted by:Steve |