Casualties Mounting in Afghanistan as Iraq Death Toll Drops

The death toll in Iraq is at an all time low with only 37 troops killed so far this month. But that figure jumps when Afghanistan is included in the count.

American HUMVEE's kick up dust at Camp Phoenix in Kabul, Afghanistan. Photo by: Tim King

(SALEM, Ore.) - As the federal government lauds a decrease in American casualties in Iraq, a closer look reveals that the burden of death in recent weeks has shifted not away, but into Afghanistan.

Six of the last thirteen recorded and announced military deaths reported by the Department of Defense happened in the Afghan combat theater.

The monthly death toll of Americans in Iraq is at an all time low, according to the Associated Press. So far in October, only 37 troop deaths were recorded in Iraq. But that figure jumps by several numbers when Afghanistan is included in the count.

The following soldiers were killed in Afghanistan between October 23rd and October 29th, 2007.

Major Jeffrey R. Calero died October 29th in Kajaki, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated while he was on dismounted patrol.

Master Sergeant Thomas L. Bruner died October 28th in Kabul, Afghanistan from a non-combat related illness.

Sergeant Joshua C. Brennan died October 26th from died of wounds sustained when he came in contact with enemy forces using RPG, machine gun and small arms fire during combat operations on October 25th in Korengal Valley, Afghanistan.

Specialist Hugo V. Mendoza died October 25th of wounds sustained when they came in contact with enemy forces using RPG, machine gun and small arms fire during combat operations on October 25th in Korengal Valley, Afghanistan.

Sergeant Edward O. Philpot died October 23rd in Afghanistan, from a non-combat related Humvee rollover accident.

Staff Sergeant Larry I. Rougle died October 23rd in Sawtalo Sar Mountain, Kunar Province, Afghanistan, of wounds when he was engaged by enemy small arms fire during combat operations.

The Defense Department says that as of Tuesday, October 30th, at least 387 members of the U.S. military have died in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Uzbekistan as a result of the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan that began in late 2001. Of those reported deaths, 259 were killed by hostile action.

Many Americans in Afghanistan say they believe their mission is helping people there, "by winning hearts and minds." While fighting happens every day, many U.S. military units have taken that mantra from the Vietnam War seriously, participating in countless humanitarian missions to bring supplies and medical treatment to people, even in extremely remote villages.

U.S. troop deaths in this country have been sporadic at times, but Taliban and anti-Coalition military forces are maintaining a degree of control in several regions.

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Tim King is a former U.S. Marine with almost twenty years of experience on the west coast as a television news producer, photojournalist and reporter. Today, in addition to his role as a war correspondent in Afghanistan where he spent the winter of 2006/07, this Los Angeles native serves as Salem-News.com's Executive News Editor. Salem-News.com is the nation's only truly independent high traffic news Website, affiliated only with Google News. You can send Tim an email at this address: newsroom@salem-news.com