Imminent Death--when a soldier is wounded so badly that his death...

[Maddy McCall]

is imminent, he/she is retired immediately, and his/her death does not go on the death count.

Therefore, deaths in Iraq should be higher.

This is straight from an Iraq war veteran who is on Link TV right now, who said this information came straight to him from a Lieutenant Colonel.

Amazing. Sad.

www.ivaw.net

[Fridays Child]

1. I've always thought that fatally injured soldiers who lingered...

...were not being counted. So, I wonder what the real count is. Of the numbers injured, I've heard accounts as high as 13,000 and as low as 8,000. Are those "retired" soldiers somewhere in the difference?

[Maddy McCall]

2. good question...I have no idea how to answer it.

[Vickers]

3. I think he is confused about the military "imminent death" scenario

If you are injured on a battlefield, and it looks like you will die within 3 days, they will "retire" you under the "imminent death" scenario. This is done provide death benefits for surviving family members (i.e., they will get the benefits they would've received as if the guy would have put in 20 years and been eleigible for retirement).

It does not mean that you are not listed as a battlefield death.

I have no doubt that they are doing some shitty things, but I think in this case it is bullshit.

[Maddy McCall]

6. I don't know. There was a national military liaison there...

and she said the policy was stopped "last year."

[napi21]

4. Comon. There has to be some recent people who have just returned from

Iraq who know the answer to this. I sure don't! If I had to guess, they wouldn't be counted because it's to the best interest of the DOD not to report them.

[hightension]

5. It's just

macabre as hell to even be forced to think about things like this.
I hope like hell that we can turn some sort of karmic corner in less than a week.

[Cleita]

7. Beyond amazing and sad.

DISGUSTING!

[Maddy McCall]

8. I agree. Wish we knew the real fatalities number.

I think many Americans would be disgusted, too, and it could change the way they vote.