Every single combat death and injury sustained by our fighting forces is a deep loss. But those who decry the 4000 military deaths related to the liberation of Iraq as somehow a disproportionate historic disaster do not have much perspective. A Navy vet reader of AT who prefers anonymity has produced a graphic representation to supply some perspective:



(date sources: http://www.disastercenter.com/crime/uscrime.htm  and http://www.suicidology.org/associations/1045/files/2005datapgs.pdf; Totals obtained by multiplying yearly averages)