More than 300 U.S. Soldiers Stationed in Germany are Casualties of the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars

More than 300 U.S. Soldiers Stationed in Germany are Casualties of the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars
Submitted by davidswanson on Fri, 2007-10-26 16:52. Media

From American Voices Abroad (AVA) Military Project

Study reveals the key role of U.S. bases in Germany for U.S. led wars

Berlin, October 26, 2007. A casualty list of U.S. soldiers released today reveals the key role of the U.S. bases in Germany for the U.S. led wars in Iraq and in Afghanistan.

The casualty list of US soldiers stationed at "home bases" outside the U.S. was compiled by American Voices Abroad (AVA) Military Project from death notices posted on the U.S. Department of Defense Web site. The list is based on the available information through October 23, 2007.

287 U.S. soldiers stationed in Germany died supporting the war in Iraq, far more than the 170 U.K soldiers who have died in the Iraq war. In addition, 19 U.S. soldiers stationed in Germany died supporting the war in Afghanistan.

The casualty number of U.S. soldiers stationed in Germany is nearly six times more than that for U.S. soldiers stationed in any other country outside the U.S. The next highest casualty count is for Korea, with 54 casualties.

In Germany, the state of Bavaria was hardest hit. 153 U.S. soldiers stationed in Bavaria have died in the Iraq war. Recent deaths include 8 U.S. soldiers over the past month who were stationed in Vilseck (Bavaria) and 60 U.S. soldiers stationed Schweinfurt (Bavaria), who died between September 2006 and September 2007.

(See below for a base-by-base list of casualty counts.)

"Soldiers die mainly because of their participation in combat," says Elsa Rassbach, a U.S. citizen living in Berlin and a spokesperson for American Voices Abroad (AVA) Military Project. "Therefore this casualty list of U.S. soldiers with a 'home base' in Germany is just one more indication of the vast amount of support the German government is currently giving to the U.S. for the Iraq war. But this casualty list does not begin to tell the whole story of German support. It includes casualties only for the U.S. soldiers who actually live here with their families at U.S. bases in Germany for years and years, often being sent to the war zones from Germany as many as three and four times. A great many more U.S. soldiers use the facilities in Germany for travel from the U.S. to the war zones, for training, and for medical care."

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