U.S. & Allied Killed and Wounded

Over 7,000 U.S. service members died in post-9/11 war zones including Afghanistan and Iraq. Approximately 177,000 allies in the national military and police from Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, and Syria died. Western allies such as the U.K., Germany, and Canada also have borne significant human costs. 

The U.S. military suicide rate, historically low, has climbed significantly since 2004: four times as many service members died by suicide than in combat in the post-9/11 wars, signaling a mental health crisis. Traumatic brain injury and PTSD are major issues among Iraq and Afghanistan veterans. 

Hundreds of thousands more United States and allied service members were wounded in combat and have died as a result of injuries sustained in the war zones. Common combat injuries include second and third degree burns, broken bones, shrapnel wounds, brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, nerve damage, paralysis, loss of sight and hearing, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and limb loss. Toxic exposure from dust and burn pits and resulting respiratory, cardiac, and neurological diseases represent another large segment of war zone-induced illness that has yet to be fully recognized.

Because the U.S. military recruits from low income and minority communities, and the states that send the most troops to war are often the poorest states in the nation, certain U.S. states and towns have borne higher human costs than others.

Over 8,000 private contractors also died while providing logistical and security support to U.S. troops. The U.S. government does not thoroughly report contractor deaths, their families are often not compensated for their deaths and injuries, and contractor health care is generally substandard. Foreign workers for U.S. contracting firms often do not have their deaths recorded or compensated.  

All of these deaths are mourned by communities of family and friends.

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Key Findings

• Over 7,000 U.S. troops died, as well as approximately 8,000 military contractors.

• Approximately 177,000 allies in the national military and police from Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, and Syria were killed.

• Four times as many U.S. service members died by suicide than in combat in the post-9/11 wars.

• Certain U.S. states and communities have borne a higher human cost than others, signaling a pattern of inequality in military service.

(Page updated as of October 2024)