Omari Gates
The US war on terror, which began following the September 11 attacks, has resulted in a significant number of casualties. From the onset of military operations in October 2001 to February 2024, the United States has incurred a total of 60,618 casualties in Iraq and Afghanistan, including 7,085 military fatalities and 53,533 wounded service members. The US invaded Afghanistan to defeat Al-Qaeda and the Taliban, and Iraq to overthrow the regime of Saddam Hussein, who was accused of possessing weapons of mass destruction. The human cost of these wars has been immense, with over 7,000 US service members losing their lives and thousands more wounded in combat or dying indirectly from injuries sustained in the war zones. The conflict has also taken a heavy toll on the mental health of service members, with a significant increase in suicides.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Total number of U.S. soldiers who died in Iraq and Afghanistan | 7,054 |
| Total number of U.S. soldiers who died in Iraq and Afghanistan, Pakistan, and elsewhere | 7,000+ |
| Number of U.S. soldiers who died in Afghanistan | 2,401-2,459 |
| Number of U.S. soldiers who died in Iraq | N/A |
| Number of U.S. soldiers who died by suicide | 4x more than those who died in combat |
| Number of U.S. contractors who died | 7,820-8,000 |
| Number of Allied troops and national police who died in Afghanistan/Pakistan | 73,000+ |
| Number of Allied troops who died in Iraq and Syria | 100,000+ |
What You'll Learn
US military fatalities in Iraq and Afghanistan by state as of October 2021
As of October 2021, the United States had lost a total of 7,054 soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan, with California suffering the highest number of fatalities at 759. Unfortunately, I could not find a breakdown of the number of US military fatalities in Iraq and Afghanistan by state as of October 2021. However, here is a general overview of US military fatalities in these conflicts.
The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have resulted in a significant loss of life for US troops, with the number of fatalities exceeding 7,000 by the end of 2019. This figure includes both hostile and non-hostile deaths, with vehicle crashes, electrocutions, heatstroke, friendly fire, and suicides contributing to the overall toll. The true extent of the human cost may be even higher, as official Pentagon numbers do not include suicides resulting from psychological wounds such as PTSD. Over 30,000 service members and veterans of the post-9/11 wars have died by suicide, highlighting the long-lasting impact of these conflicts on the mental health of those who served.
In addition to military personnel, private contract workers have also faced high casualty rates, with an estimated 8,000 contractors working for the US killed in Iraq and Afghanistan. The majority of these contractors are citizens of other countries, and the full extent of their casualties is unclear. Coalition partners have also suffered significant losses, with approximately 177,000 uniformed personnel from Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, and Syria dying as of November 2019.
While the number of US service members dying in overseas operations has decreased in recent years, the human cost of these conflicts extends beyond those killed in action. The high rate of suicides among veterans and the ongoing mental health struggles of those who served demonstrate the long-term impact of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
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US military deaths in Afghanistan
The War in Afghanistan, lasting from October 2001 to August 2021, resulted in a significant number of US military fatalities. The conflict, sparked by the September 11th attacks, aimed to counter the Taliban and combat terrorism in the region. The US military deaths in Afghanistan are estimated to be around 2,400 to 2,500.
The human cost of the war in Afghanistan has been substantial, with 1,922 US military deaths attributed to hostile action and an additional 534 non-hostile fatalities. The highest number of American fatalities in a single incident occurred on August 6, 2011, when a transport helicopter was shot down, claiming the lives of 30 Americans, including 22 Navy SEALs.
The war has also taken a toll on the mental health of service members, with many veterans developing psychological issues that have led to suicides, which are not included in the official Pentagon numbers. The US military suicide rate has climbed significantly since 2004, and it is estimated that four times as many service members have died by suicide than in combat in post-9/11 wars.
The US military presence in Afghanistan spanned two principal operations: Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Freedom's Sentinel. Operation Enduring Freedom commenced in 2001 and concluded in 2014, focusing on countering terrorism and the Taliban insurgency. Operation Freedom's Sentinel, initiated in 2014, centred on training and assisting the Afghan military until the withdrawal of US troops in August 2021.
The final US military casualties in Afghanistan occurred during the chaotic evacuation at the Kabul airport in August 2021, where a suicide bombing attack claimed the lives of 13 US service members. This marked the deadliest day for American troops in Afghanistan in a decade and served as a tragic conclusion to the nation's two-decade-long involvement in the country.
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US military deaths in Iraq
The Iraq War, which began with the US and coalition forces' invasion of Iraq in March 2003, resulted in thousands of US military deaths. The conflict, which saw US soldiers grappling with Al Qaeda and civil war between groups vying for power after the removal of Saddam Hussein, led to high casualties in its first five years.
Various sources provide different estimates of US military deaths in Iraq. One source places the figure at 6,840, while another estimates it to be 4,902. According to Brown University's Costs of War Project, there were 6,951 US military deaths in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The Iraq War also took a significant toll on the mental health of US service members. The US military suicide rate climbed significantly after 2004, with four times as many service members dying by suicide than in combat in the post-9/11 wars.
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US contractor deaths in Afghanistan and Iraq
The US Department of Labor has confirmed that by the end of March 2009, 917 civilian contractors were killed in Iraq, of whom 224 were US citizens. This number was updated to 1,537 by the end of March 2011, with an estimated 354 of these being US citizens. By June 23, 2011, 749 foreign private contractor deaths in Iraq as part of the Iraq War had been listed. Of those, 355 were Americans.
In Afghanistan, the US Department of Labor confirmed that by March 31, 2021, a total of 1,822 civilian contractors had been killed, of whom 121 were Americans. The Department of Labor's report indicates that 1,774 civilian contractors have died in Afghanistan since the beginning of the war, but acknowledges that this tally is not "the complete or official casualty statistics of civilian contractor injuries and deaths". Brown University's Costs of War project estimates that the real number is about 3,814 deaths.
In total, over 8,000 contractors working for the US have been killed in Iraq and Afghanistan. This number is an estimate, as the Pentagon does not keep track of contractor deaths and the majority of US contractors are citizens of other countries, many of whose deaths appear not to have been reported.
In 2010, more than 250 civilian contractors died in Iraq and Afghanistan in the first half of the year, while 235 soldiers died in the same period. This was the first time that contractor deaths exceeded military deaths.
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Allied troop deaths in Afghanistan and Iraq
The human cost of the post-9/11 wars in Iraq and Afghanistan has been high for US and Allied troops. The US military has recorded over 7,000 deaths in Iraq and Afghanistan, with the number rising to over 8,000 when including contractors. The US Department of Defense recorded 7,054 soldier deaths in Iraq and Afghanistan as of October 2021.
The war in Afghanistan, which lasted from October 2001 to August 2021, resulted in 2,459 US military deaths, with 1,922 of these being hostile deaths. The UK has also incurred deaths in Afghanistan, with at least one recorded in 2021.
The number of allied troop deaths in Afghanistan is estimated to be 1,141, according to the Costs of War report. This report also notes that the actual number of deaths may be higher due to the challenges of documenting deaths in conflict zones.
In Iraq, the number of allied troop deaths is estimated to be over 100,000. The Costs of War report includes national military and police deaths in its figures, which account for the majority of deaths.
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Frequently asked questions
As of October 2021, a total of 7,054 US soldiers have died in Iraq and Afghanistan.
There were 2,459 US military deaths in the War in Afghanistan, which lasted from October 2001 to August 2021.
While there is no exact figure for the number of US soldiers who died in Iraq, a report by Brown University's Costs of War Project states that there were 6,951 US military deaths in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan. Given that there were 2,401 US military deaths in Afghanistan, we can estimate that there were around 4,550 US military deaths in Iraq.
