Reply #19: Normal Active duty and reservist mortality rates? Throw in VA hospitals?

[haele]

From what I remember when I was in during that time, and reading the Navy Times regularly, there was on average ten to fifteen Navy active, reserve, and retiree deaths listed in weekly their "proceedings" columns simply due to old age, civilian accidents, training accidents, deployment/safety issues, service related injuries, etc...
Consider there are considered to be five "military" services - Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marines, Navy - with varying numbers of stupid young people and/or retirees that are living in VA homes and/or hospitals or are "noted" in their community, a thousand or so listed deaths a year would not be considered "special".
Another point to consider is that if you compare a yearly cross section of civilians of the same number and type as military members, you will usually find a higher mortality rate amongst the same number of civilians. That's because in general, the military tends to be much stricter in terms of safety procedures and risky behavior, at least on base.

It sounds as if your author is comparing apples and oranges by fudging statistics to make a point.

If we add current non-theater mortality averages this person is using to bash Clinton era military to our current in-theater mortality, we'd probably be able to claim on average 3 to 4K more deaths a year during the 2003 to 2006 Iraq/Iran war period. That's quadruple or higher the number of deaths during the same period of time.

The argument the author of this opinion piece is trying to make is a shiny spin object full of holes.

Haele