What is the ratio of combat deaths to patrol deaths in Iraq and Afghanistan?

Answer 1

There have been many more patrol deaths than combat deaths total in every war since 1980.

Answer 2

I am not in the military or in the defense business, but I am a military enthusiast and I can answer you some.

I would give it 3 (combat death) : 1 (patrol death) In Iraq.

In Afg., 4 : 1.

But keep it in mind, that very often, the patrol itself leads to the coombat. It is because the wars there are more like the guerilla fighting, instead of the two army staging open battle against one another.

In Iraq, it is much more of well-planned ambushes, road side bombing with IEDs (improvised explosive devices), suicide bombing at the check point posts, sniper attacks to the coalition forces, etc.

In Afganistan, it is bit different. First of all, there are not sufficient amout of the American soldiers' presence, and much of the nation's landscape is wild, undeveloped areas. This allow the former Taliban and Al-Qaeda fighters to hide into their mountain caves and town villiages, escaping from the eyes of the coalition soldiers for very long periods of time. So unlike the Iraq, the urban combat is bit less. But still, there are heavy, fierce ambushes to the patrols.

What the Americans usually do is relying heavy on the special forces to patrol the remote villiages. I heard that the fighting in the villiage is rare. Instead, the enemies use their terrein adventages well, such as setting a trap and lure them into the ambushes, hit-and-run tactics (...with poor accuracy), etc.

Honestly, I would not even make high distinctions between the combat death and patrol deaths, because if there's a fight, the patrol walks into the ambushes, and it develops into the combat.

Answer 3

A combat death and a patrol death are the same thing what do you think you do in combat.....patrol thats right!

Answer 4

If you are talking about american soldiers, then all I can tell you is that no one died it gun-battles or at the real battle field. But yes, many US and British soldiers died in car-bombs and suicide bombs plotted by terrorists and other activists.

Answer 5

US ARMY 10 TOWELHEADS 0 PRICELESS