Order Code RS21578
Updated January 19, 2006
CRS Report for Congress
Received through the CRS Web
Iraq: Summary of U.S. Casualties
Hannah Fischer and JoAnne O’Bryant
Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Consultancy
Knowledge Services Group
Summary
The following casualty data was compiled by the Department of Defense (DOD),
as tallied from the agency’s press releases. Table 1 provides statistics on fatalities
during Operation Iraqi Freedom, which began on March 19, 2003, and is ongoing, as
well as on the number of fatalities since May 1, 2003, plus statistics on those wounded,
but not killed, since March 19, 2003. Statistics may be revised as circumstances are
investigated and as all records are processed through the U.S. military’s casualty system.
More frequent updates are available at DOD’s website at [http://www.defenselink.mil/
news/] under “OIF/OEF Casualty Update.”
A detailed casualty summary that includes data on deaths by cause, as well as
statistics on soldiers wounded in action, is available at the following DOD website:
[http://web1.whs.osd.mil/mmid/casualty/OIF-Total.pdf].
Table 1. Operation Iraqi Freedom, U.S. Fatalities and Wounded
as of January 18, 2006, 10 a.m. EST
March 19, 2003,
May 1, 2003,
March 19, 2003,
Fatalities
Wounded
to the Present
to the Present
to the Present
Hostile
1,741
1,627
In actiona
16,472
Non-hostile
484
454
Not Returned
7,625
to Duty
Total
2,225
2,081


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Source: DOD press releases.
Note: The President’s statement about combat operations in Iraq having ended can be found in the Weekly
Compilation of Presidential Documents, May 1, 2003, p. 516.
a. Includes the “Not Returned to Duty” figure.
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