As tragic as the loss of any member of the US Armed Forces is, consider the following statistics: The annual fatalities of military members while actively serving in the armed forces from 1980 through 2007:
1980 .......... 2,392 (Carter Year)
1981 .......... 2,380 (Reagan Year)
1984 .......... 1,999 (Reagan Year)
1988 .......... 1,819 (Reagan Year)
1989 .......... 1,636 (George H W Year)
1990 .......... 1,508 (George H W Year)
1991 .......... 1,787 (George H W Year)
1992 .......... 1,293 (George H W Year)
1993 .......... 1,213 (Clinton Year)
1994 .......... 1,075 (Clinton Year)
1995 .......... 2,465 (Clinton Year)
1996 .......... 2,318 (Clinton Year)
1997 .......... 817 (Clinton Year)
1998 .......... 2,252 (Clinton Year)
1999 .......... 1,984 (Clinton Year)
2000 ...........1,983 (Clinton Year)
2001 ............. 890(George W Year)
2002 .......... 1,007 (George W Year)
2003 .......... 1,410 (George W Year)
2004 .......... 1,887 (George W Year)
2005 ............. 919 (George W Year)
2006.... .......... 920 (George W Year)
2007............. 899 (George W Year)
Clinton years (1993-2000): 14,000 deaths
George W years (2001-2007): 7,932 deaths
The distribution of American citizens, by Race:
European descent ...... ....................69.12%
Hispanic ........................................12.5%
Black .................... ........................12.3%
Asian ............................................. 3.7%
Native American .............................1.0%
Other ..............................................2.6%
The fatalities by Race; over the past three years in Iraqi Freedom:
European descent (white) ............74.31%
Hispanic .....................................10.74%
Black ......................................... 9.67%
Asian ......................................... 1.81%
Native American ........................ 1.09%
Other ......................................... 0.33%