I’ve been sifting through pages and pages of statistics lately in order to break them down for another infographic piece based on the war on Iraq. Partly because its a highly controversial subject at the moment, and partly because there are pages and pages of statistics on it.
For example, according to this About.com piece, the U.S. is spending over $270 million a day. In just one week, that’s nearly $2 billion! Think of how many schools that could build, how many hospitals, universities, and other public amenities.
In the statistics I’ve been looking at it says that there have been 3,883 US soldiers killed in Iraq, so far. That’s a pretty big number, but I wanted to see how that broke down, and how many soldiers are in a squad/platoon/battalion/etc. The following are all averages.
- Squad: 5 - 10 soldiers depending on the mission.
- Platoon: 15 - 40 soldiers.
- Company: 60 - 200 soldiers.
- Battalion: 200 -1000 soldiers.
- Brigade: 3,000 - 5,000 soldiers.
- Division: 10,000 - 15,000 soldiers.
- Corps: 20,000 - 45,000 soldiers.
- Army: 50,000 soldiers.
The Details
The image below represents an average army squad, made up of 8 soldiers each with one specialist skill. Of course in any squad each soldier will be trained in multiple areas, but for arguments sake in visualising your average squad I’ve given them all one each.
From left to right, a squad leader (in this case a Corporal), explosives expert, sniper, medic, grenadier, communications officer, rifleman, and scout/recon.
He who dares Rodders! He who dares…
2 Comments
Sure, we’re spending a lot of money.
And yes, a lot of people have died.
I’m not dismissing that.
However, do you realize how much good we’re doing over there?
In the scope of all wars, do you realize how low our casualty rate is?
And finally, in the entire Iraqi war, we have had less than four thousand KIA.
In 2006 alone, the US had 17,941 deaths and over 500,000 injuries due to drunk driving.
In November (I think it was November…) last year the murder rate in Detroit was greater than the KIA count in Iraq.
Just some food for thought.
(like the graphics though. I wish I could do that…)
Don’t you think that if you have all these problems with gun crime, drink driving, education, etc, that you should put all the money spent on making war into making what you already have better?
Yes I think Iraq needed help, but there is a point in time where help becomes hinderance. Maybe we should just let them get on with it now?
Anyways, I wasn’t saying anything with this image. I was just playing with statistics.
Thanks for your comment, and I’m glad you liked the pic. :)