America wars specifics (part 2)

Veterans’ Voices is directed toward veterans and their families who have given so much to ensure our freedom in this country. This is an area where you may share your experiences, or read of other veterans’ experiences. We thank you for your service, and hope that you know how much you are loved and appreciated.

I have been asked to write about all of the wars and the data that came with. There is a lot of data, so I had to do it in increments. Last publication was Part 1. I will continue:

VIETNAM WAR 1965-1975

U.S. Military Deaths: 58,222 (47,434 battle deaths) U.S. Wounded Hospitalized: 153,303. Cost $111 billion, Total serving in Southeast Asia: 3,403,000

Congress authorized President Lyndon Johnson to use “all necessary measures” against North Vietnam in 1964, after U.S. warships came under apparent attack in the Gulf of Tonkin. When Johnson asked military leaders what they needed to win, the answer was seven years, 700,000 to 1 million troops and an unfettered air campaign. Instead, Johnson and President Richard Nixon launched a combined 16 bombing pauses and 72 peace initiatives, thus undercutting battlefield momentum.

PANAMA 1989-1990

U.S. Military Deaths: 23, U.S. Wounded: 322, Total deployed: 26,000

GULF WAR 1990-1991

U.S. Military Deaths: 382 (147 battle deaths), U.S. Wounded: 467, Total serving 694,550, Cost $61 billion.

IRAQI KURDISTAN: 1991

U.S. Military Deaths: 5, Peak U.S. troop level: 12,316

SOMALIA: 1992-1994

U.S. Military Deaths: 43, Peak U.S. troop level: 28,000, Cost: $2.22 billion.

HAITI: 1994-1996

U.S. Military Deaths: 4 (all non-hostile), U.S. troops: 16,253 (plus 11,773 in the “joint-operations area”), Cost $2 billion.

BOSNIA: 1995-2004

Total serving: 100,000, Cost $14.83 billion

GLOBAL WAR ON TERRORISM/OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM (OED)/OPERATION FREEDOM’S SENTINEL/OPERATION RESOLUTE SUPPORT: 2001 TO PRESENT

U.S. Military and DoD civilian deaths: 2,355 as of March 2015 (1,845 battle deaths), U.S. Military wounded: 20,067, Americans/friendly foreign nationals killed on September 11th, 2001: 2,976, Total serving 2.54 million plus. There are so many conflicts and smaller wars that are too much to list. These numbers are only estimates due to the ongoing wars.

There are reports anti-terror related activities in Kenya, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Afghanistan, Pakistan, The Philippines, Yemen, Djibouti, Guantanamo Bay Cuba, Eritrea, Jordan, Turkey, Uzbekistan, and more not listed.

KOSOVO 1999-Present

U.S. troops deployed during hostilities 31,600, Cost: $9.56 billion (1999-2004)

AFGHANISTAN: 2001-PRESENT

U.S Military deaths: 2,215 as of 2015 (1,832 Battle deaths), U.S. Wounded: 20,026, Total serving: 831,573, Cost $825.7 billion.

IRAQ/OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM/OPERATION NEW DAWN: 2003-2011

U.S. Military and DoD deaths: 4,4941 (3,529 battle deaths), U.S. wounded: 32,244, Total serving: 1.5 million +, Cost $820 billion.

OPERATION INHERENT RESOLVE: 2014-PRESENT

U.S. Military deaths: 3, Cost $8.4 million per day

I hope this answered all of the questions submitted. Any comments, email me at AboutVets@yahoo.com.

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— Royal D. Goodman, U.S. Army / Vietnam,

1st Cav / 9th Infantry