Annual fatalities of military members while actively serving in the armed forces from 1980 through 2006:

1980 ....... 2,392

1981 ....... 2,380

1984 ....... 1,999

1988 ....... 1,819

1989 ....... 1,636

1990 ....... 1,508

1991 ....... 1,787

1992 ....... 1,293

1993 ....... 1,213

1994 ....... 1,075

1995 ........ 2,465

1996 ........ 2,318

1997 ........ 817

1998 ....... 2,252

1999 ....... 1,984

2000 ....... 1,983

2001 ........ 890

2002 ....... 1,007

2003 ....... 1,410

2004 ....... 1,887

2005 ........ 919

2006........ 920

During the last four calendar years in the table, the loss of military personnel to enemy action and accidents averaged 1284 per year. During Clinton's peacetime presidency the average military fatalities was 1455 per year, or almost 200 more.

During the reign of President Jimmy Carter, a Nobel Peace Prize winner, there were 2,392 US military fatalities in one year, 1980.

It is clear that improving training and training increases the safety of troops, even if those troops are in the midst of combat against fanatic terrorists.

The mainstream print and TV media, and many politicians too, the demagogues, have often claimed that these brave men and women, who are losing their lives in Iraq, are mostly minorities. The latest census, of Americans, shows the following distribution of American citizens, by Race:

European descent (White).... 69.12%

Hispanic.................... 12.5%

Black...................... 12.3%

Asian....................... 3.7%

Native American.............. 1.0%

Other....................... 2.6%

Now consider the fatalities by race over the past three years in Iraq:

European descent (white).... 74.31%

Hispanic.................... 10.74%

Black....................... 9.67%

Asian....................... 1.81%

Native American.............. 1.09%

Other....................... 3.3%

The burden of combat is remarkable for how evenly it is spread. Indeed, if any bias, it endangers the European-descent ethnic group slightly. I don’t hear them complaining. Indeed, one hears few soldiers of any ethnic group complaining about anything other than they don't want to surrender. They are dedicated to finishing the job. They don't want the effort expended so far to be wasted.