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A note on IAVA's homepage casualty count: The daily list of names posted on the IAVA homepage reflects those casualties identified by the Department of Defense. The DoD does not release the names of those killed until family has been notified, so the number of names released on a given day will usually deviate from the increase in the total number of casualties. Also, the total number of killed and wounded Troops on our website is the official number kept by the DoD. The DoD does not include a reported casualty in its official count until confirmation can be made, which means that media reports and other independent websites often list a slightly higher number of total casualties.
Soldiers who have given their lives in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom deserve a public memorial. Unfortunately, their sacrifices have often been hidden from public view.
Photo from Cpl. Keith Kluwe
The British Ministry of Defense has an official government website which commemorates each service member killed in Iraq with a separate page that includes their names and photos, as well as a story about their service and an explanation of the cause of death, along with testimonials from their friends, family members, and commanding officers.
How many troops have died in Iraq?
The Department of Defense releases an official casualty count of those killed in action (KIA), those killed in non-hostile situations (like helicopter accidents), and those wounded in action (WIA).
The Pentagon also releases the names of all service members who die in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as data on military deaths:
But several privately-run sites offer more complete information about the fallen. You can find more information about casualties at globalsecurity.org, icasualties.org, or obleek.com. Obleek is probably the best representation of the the time and tempo of fatalities in Iraq, while icasualties offers the most searchable database.
The Washington Post maintains a site called "Faces of the Fallen" that includes photos and a brief summary of their service and cause of death. The Fallen Heroes Memorial allows visitors to add their personal remembrances of fallen soldiers. The Palm Beach Post has a map that marks the hometown of every fallen soldier.
There are rumors that Troops who are severely injured in Iraq but die after being airlifted out of country are not counted in the Defense Department's casualty statistics, but this is not true. The over 150 Troops who have died after being transported to Kuwait, Germany, or the United States for treatment are included in the DoD's statistics. Click here for more complete information.
Photo from Cpl. Keith Kluwe
What about the photos of soldiers' coffins?
In a departure from tradition, the Bush Administration has banned photographs of the flag-draped coffins of fallen troops returning from Iraq, citing concerns about the families' privacy. This controversial decision came under scrutiny when photos taken by a cargo worker in Kuwait were published in the Seattle Times. Read more here. [CNN.com] You can see the photos at www.honorthefallen.com.
On April 28th, 2005, the Pentagon bowed to pressure from advocates and released hundreds of photos of the flag-draped coffins of U.S. servicemembers who died in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Several of these newly-released photos were taken by Keith Kluwe, an IAVA Member Veteran, and a combat journalist who served as a Corporal in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Photo from Cpl. Keith Kluwe
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