Memorial Day 2010: Redux

As we commemorate the sacrifices of the men and women who serve in our military on this Memorial Day weekend, I hope that first and foremost in our minds and hearts is the fact that we are at war. Not a war in the conventional sense of WW I or WW II; nor even a regional conflict with a defined nationalist enemy like Korea or Viet Nam, but with an ideology. It seems crazy to me, but I am no less committed to the full support of our troops and no less grateful for their service; and yes, their sacrifice.

As of May 29th, the Department of defense has reported the deaths of 173 service members in 2010. Added to the total since the events of 9/11, and you come up with 5,463 casualties among our troops during the time we've dubbed "The War on Terrorism".

This year, of 173, 62% served in the Army, 32% were Marines, 3% each from the Navy and Air Force. 16 were Hispanic, 13 African American, 4 Asian, 1 Native American and the rest white. (Throughout this long conflict, there has been a perception that minorities have been disproportionately represented in the casualty counts. I once thought this was true myself, but the data demonstrates that this is actually only true for one sub-group of soldiers: women.) 4 were women. Texans lead the death count this year, followed by soldiers who call Tennessee, Florida, California, North Carolina, and New Jersey home. The youngest were 19 and oldest 53. In rank they span the range from Privates E-1 to Lieutenant Colonels.

Today, I remember.