IN MEMORY OF SERGEANTS KILLED IN IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN ON 9/11/2013

With two more sergeants (and not others) killed last week, I repeat here a short poem I wrote honoring all the sergeants killed in Iraq and Afghanistan (December 11, 2011).  I find it strange that there have been far more sergeants killed than corporals or privates (http://stopcontinentaldrift.blogspot.com/2011/12/sergeants-poem.html).  Iraq and Afghanistan have been a different sort of war.

THE SERGEANTS (Poem)

Who are these sergeants, mostly men,

Dying in such numbers in far off lands?

Iraq, Afghanistan.

More than corporals,

More than privates.

Our top heavy military?

Some sergeants in their 50s.

More in their 40s.

Many in their 30s.

They must have been surprised

To be called at such ages

Into a savage war.

You might be interested in seeing: http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/natsec/RS22452.pdf or http://www.demographic-research.org/volumes/vol23/2/23-2.pdf.  I am unable to find up to date figures.

THE SERGEANTS (Poem)

Who are these sergeants, mostly men,

Dying in such numbers in far off lands?

Iraq, Afghanistan.

More than corporals,

More than privates.

Our top heavy military?

Some sergeants in their 50s.

More in their 40s.

Many in their 30s.

They must have been surprised

To be called at such ages

Into a savage war.

http://icasualties.org/OEF/Fatalities.aspx Figures for Operation Enduring Freedom up to date were 525 sergeants, 339 corporals, 339 specialists, and 341 privates (both Pvt. and Pvt 1st Class).

Total figures from 3/21/2003 to 4/30/2006 only are 738 sergeants, 707 corporals and 339 privates. http://repository.upenn.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1000&context=psc_working_papers&sei-redir=1&referer=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2Furl%3Fsa%3Dt%26source%3Dweb%26cd%3D4%26sqi%3D2%26ved%3D0CEEQFjAD%26url%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Frepository.upenn.edu%252Fcgi%252Fviewcontent.cgi%253Farticle%253D1000%2526context%253Dpsc_working_papers%26rct%3Dj%26q%3Ddeaths%2520by%2520rank%2520in%2520Iraw%2520and%2520Afghanitan%26ei%3DQAeSTqbMMYiltwfjpvSHDA%26usg%3DAFQjCNGwfVq1ubJusyLoQu72R7iOepBz0g%26sig2%3DPqxbeg0852-sVDIXG6Cm0A#search=%22deaths%20by%20rank%20Iraw%20Afghanitan%22