Wounded Inaction

The press at the end of the year is happy to discuss how this has been the year with the most American troops killed in action in Iraq. They are probably saddened that recent declines prevented them from celebrating the 4,000th KIA this year, too.

Overall, our casualties in Iraq have declined significantly since the summer. This month, 20 American troops were killed in action in Iraq. This is a record low considering that this many died in February 2004, which was a shorter month.

What is really amazing, however, is the dramatic drop in troops wounded in action. This month, only 36 American troops were wounded in action! This is just stunning. Even last month, 199 were WIA. The month before we lost 297 WIA. In September, we suffered 361 WIA. In August, 565. And yet this month we have suffered 36 WIA. Consider that in April 2004 and November 2004, during the two assaults on Fallujah, we suffered 1,213 and 1,431 WIA, respectively.

When we have suffered only 36 WIA in addition to 20 KIA in December, combat is really reduced both in scope and in the ability of the enemy to fight back when we engage them. I hadn't noticed this trend before, and it is just amazing.

May this trend continue.

UPDATE: My mistake. There is clearly a lag in reporting WIA. December saw 207 WIA. This is consistent with the usual ratio of killed to wounded.