Louisiana ranks 21st in Post-9/11 military deaths

Published 4:45 pm Saturday, December 10, 2022

Though the ongoing War on Terror achieved several goals, including the killing of al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden and regime change in Iraq, the results came at a steep price. Since the first American was killed in Afghanistan in October 2001, nearly 6,900 Americans – serving in military, intelligence, and civilian capacities – from all 50 states have died in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

A reported 127 people from Louisiana died in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan of the last two decades, accounting for 1.8 percent of all deaths among the 50 states. Of those deaths, 90 were connected to the war in Iraq and the remaining 37 to the war in Afghanistan. Not all those reported as killed in these wars died in combat situations. Some of the deaths listed were caused by accidents like aircraft crashes, as well as friendly fire incidents, illness, and suicide.

Louisiana is home to 52,677 veterans who served in the post 9/11 era, according to estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2021 American Community Survey.

All fatality data in this story was compiled by iCasualties, a website that tracks the death toll from the post 9/11 wars.

Louisiana: 21st in total deaths by state totaling 127 deaths, 90 in Iraq War deaths and 37 in Afghanistan War deaths.

In total, there were 52,677 civilian veterans who served in post 9/11 conflicts.