139 Female Soldiers Have Died in Iraq and Afghanistan

Thursday, April 12, 2012
Mikayla Bragg
The wars in Afghanistan and Iraq demonstrated how much the roles of women in the U.S. military have expanded.
 
During a decade’s worth of conflict, more than 283,000 women were deployed to the two countries. Hundreds of them served in harm’s way, according to casualty figures.
 
More than 800 female service members have been wounded in either Afghanistan or Iraq, and at least 139 have died from combat- and non-combat-related incidents. Of these, 110 died as a result of serving in Iraq, however the last thirteen have all died in Afghanistan.
 
Although the prohibition against women serving in combat units was lifted in 1994, it has been U.S. policy to exclude women from ground combat units. However, in Afghanistan and Iraq, women have served as foot soldiers during door-to-door operations and they have been involved in convoy escort missions. Most female soldiers who have lost their lives during the last ten years have been the victims of “hostile” action.
 
The most recent female soldier to be killed in Afghanistan was 21-year-old Army Specialist Mikayla Bragg, who was shot to death while in a guard tower in eastern Afghanistan, near the Pakistani border on December 21. Her family said that she joined the Army to earn money and pay for college.
 
About 20,000 women are still serving, mostly in Afghanistan.
-David Wallechinsky, Noel Brinkerhoff
 
To Learn More:
Women in Combat: Issues for Congress (by David F. Burrelli, Congressional Research Service) (pdf)

First Death of a U.S. Woman Soldier Trying to Win Hearts and Minds of Afghan Women (by Noel Brinkerhoff, AllGov) 

Comments

Kareem 5 years ago
How many Man died in these wars ?
Michael 9 years ago
Women have historically held down the fort, protected the wagon, and endured job less desirous of the infantry. I don't see the women in uniform begging to be infantry. This agenda is coming from the top-down, not the other way around. Perhaps our men are becoming more girly and we need more manly women to fill those slots. This will be a tough haul for all services, service members, and IF it succeeds, politicians will be tipping their 10 year scotch and raising glasses...if it doesn't work, blame the system, the decades of bias, and the officers in charge of training.
vietnam2 9 years ago
LCpl Remmy.May you NEVER be promoted. Every service has scum and it has your name applied.
Thompson 11 years ago
Perhaps if the military regimen sufficed nonsexist policies, there would be a larger amount of women currently enlisted. At the beginning of the Afghanistan war, women were denied entry and men who did not wish to continue their tours were forced to go in. Women should have equal rights to die for what they believe in - nothing more, nothing less. Anything else is preposterous.
vietnam vet 11 years ago
Would you like to see your sister volunteer for a combat zone? Anyone in a combat zone is subject to danger "fighting" or not!
LCpl Remmy 11 years ago
In light of all the men who have died this saying we have fighting men and women is laughable.

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