Casualties In Iraq War Are Many
Lately you have been hearing about the terrible conditions at the Veteran's Administration facilities that are supposed to be helping our soldiers. Whether they are from previous wars or the current war in Iraq, their medical care is the most important thing we can do for them. We hear about the casualties almost every day. The reports come out that a certain number of American troops have been killed in various types of engagements. We also hear about the casualties of our coalition partners helping in this war.
There are, however, more than just the fatal casualties occurring on a daily basis. Every day, troops are receiving numerous injuries. Whether the soldiers receive a minor injury or a more serious one, the media is not reporting this to the pubic. The numbers are truly staggering when you take the time to look at them. There have been over 3,600 casualties during this war in Iraq. Now, start to think about every casualty as a person. This person was loved by their parents, spouse, children and friends and they are now gone forever. That is what many of the casualties are-death. If you are thinking that this is not too bad considering how long we have been there, you must not have a loved one in the military or serving in any capacity in Iraq. The daily casualty reports that are given daily do not tell much if anything about the survivors and how they are being treated. Did you know that there are almost 27,000 troops that have been wounded according to official reports? Did you know, that unofficially, that number might be as high as 75,000? They survived because of the advanced medical treatment that was given to them immediately. But, they are also casualties of the war in Iraq. Then, there are the troops that will return with mental conditions-they too are casualties of this war in Iraq. They will spend the remainder of their lives dealing with what they have seen while in combat. For many of them, the long journey back to good mental health will never come, they will have flashbacks to failed missions and dead comarades-something they were not prepared to see. Then, there are civilian casualties in the war in Iraq. Estimates are telling us that between 68,000 - 74,000 civilians have been killed. These deaths have come through fighting against the coalition forces, terrorist's attacks against the people or in the sectarian battles that continue on. When you hear the newscaster on the evening news report tell you about casualties, think bigger than the number they are giving you. The war in Iraq has countless casualties and those numbers will continue to rise. |