Approaching the 25-year anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, an entire generation of young Americans are alive who were born after Sept. 11, 2001, and they’ve only ever known the U.S. to be at war.
After the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, President George W. Bush launched the Global War on Terrorism with the goal to destroy al-Queda, the Taliban and other terrorist organizations.
On Oct. 7, 2001, Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) was launched in Afghanistan. On Aug. 8, 2014, U.S. troops began kinetic operations to develop Afghan security forces through Operation Freedom’s Sentinel (OFS).
Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) was launched on March 20, 2003, followed by a counter insurgency operation launched in January 2007, Operation New Dawn (OND). Operation Inherent Resolve (OIR) was launched Aug. 8, 2014, to support Iraqi Security Force operations against ISIS.
Over the past 25 years, U.S. presidents have sent hundreds of thousands of young men and women to fight in conflicts overseas. Congress authorized funding, pushing Americans further into debt. Post 9/11 conflicts have cost Americans nearly $10 trillion, including $1 billion on interest on debt to fund the Iraq and Afghanistan wars alone, The Center Square reported.
Nearly one million people were directly killed in post 9/11 conflicts from 2001 to 2021, according to an analysis published by Brown University’s Watson Institute for International & Public Affairs. They include U.S. military service members, Department of Defense civilians and contractors, U.S. military police, allied troops, opposition fighters, journalists and humanitarian workers.
The institute evaluated direct war deaths in major war zones in Afghanistan and Pakistan (Oct. 2001 – Aug. 2021); Iraq (March 2003 – Aug. 2021); Syria (Sept. 2014 – May 2021); Yemen (Oct. 2002 – Aug. 2021); and other war zones from Oct. 7, 2001, through Dec. 31, 2014.
The Center Square used Defense Casualty Analysis System (DCAS) data to compile U.S. military casualties and institute data to compile DOD civilian and contractor casualties. The total excludes U.S. journalists and humanitarian workers and all non-U.S. casualties.
The greatest number of U.S. deaths occurred in Iraq and Afghanistan. The overwhelming majority of U.S. military members killed and wounded in these wars were white men under age 25 in the U.S. Army, according to DCAS data.
U.S. military members, DOD personnel and contractor casualties totaled nearly 15,000 from Sept. 11, 2001, to Sept. 1, 2021.
IRAQ: At least 8,281 U.S. casualties
U.S. casualties in the Iraq conflict include 4,616 U.S. military members (4,418 in Operation Iraqi Freedom, 74 in Operation New Dawn, 124 in Operation Inherent Resolve) as well as 15 DOD civilian personnel and 3,650 contractors.
OIF and OND casualties occurred in the Arabian Sea, Bahrain, Gulf of Aden, Gulf of Oman, Iraq, Kuwait, Oman, Persian Gulf, Qatar, Red Sea, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, according to the institute analysis.
Ten years prior to 9/11, 382 U.S. military members were killed in Iraq during the Persian Gulf War from Aug. 7, 1990, to Jan. 15, 1991, according to DCAS data.
U.S. military members wounded in action in OIF, OND and OIR totaled 32,790.
U.S. troops remained in Iraq until Dec. 15, 2011.
AFGHANISTAN: At least 6,381 U.S. casualties
U.S. casualties in Afghanistan include 2,458 U.S. military members (2,350 in Operation Enduring Freedom and 108 in Operation Freedom’s Sentinel) as well as six DOD civilian personnel and 3,917 contractors.
Nearly 21,000 U.S. military members were wounded in action in Afghanistan, including 20,149 in OEF and 620 in OFS, according to DCAS data.
U.S. military combat operations ended in Afghanistan on Dec. 31, 2014. U.S. troops remained in the country until Aug. 30, 2021.
After the U.S. fought al-Queda and the Taliban for 20 years, the Biden administration withdrew U.S. troops five years ago this August. He left $7 billion worth of U.S. military equipment behind and returned control of Afghanistan to the Taliban.
Thirteen service members were killed during the withdrawal.
U.S. military contractors were also killed in post 9/11 conflicts in Pakistan (90), Syria (19), Yemen (2) and in other countries (511), according to institute data.
High suicide rates among U.S. service members and veterans of post 9/11 wars
At least four times as many active-duty U.S. military members and veterans of post 9/11 wars committed suicide than U.S. military members who died in combat.
According to another institute analysis, an estimated 30,177 U.S. military members and veterans committed suicide over the 20-year period. Within a year of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, suicides had skyrocketed. A National Warrior Call Day initiative was launched to respond to the crisis, The Center Square reported.
In 2022, 6,442 veterans committed suicide; in 2023, 6,398 did, according to the latest available Department of Veterans Affairs data. The average daily number of veteran suicides was 17.5 in 2023.
Ongoing conflict
DCAS data shows four U.S. military casualties and 279 military members wounded in action in “overseas operations” that began July 7; and 14 U.S. military casualties and 418 military members wounded in action in the Iran conflict, Operation Epic Fury, as of Aug. 18.