Combat Casualties and Race: What Can We Learn from the 2003–2004 Iraq Conflict?

Abstract

This study addresses concerns about the racial equity of military service in the United States by analyzing data on casualties from the 2003–2004 Iraq conflict. It proposes that the racial composition of combat casualties reflects three factors: the social processes that sort volunteers into various military units and occupational specialties; the mix of units and specialties that participate in military operations; and the battlefield conditions they encounter. The data reveal little evidence of disproportionate casualties among African Americans, but Hispanics are overrepresented compared to their participation in the military as a whole, and in Army and Marine Corps combat specialties. In general, casualties among minorities tend to be highest when combat conditions involve high-intensity, aggressive assault tactics by US ground combat forces. This is particularly true for Hispanics, partly due to their high participation rates in combat specialties and in the Marine Corps.