Costs of war
Trail of Mourning and Truth from Iraq to the White House - March 15, 2004 - As the death toll rose, a steady flow of body bags arrived at Dover Air Force Base, Delaware. Peace groups with Veterans for Peace and Military Families Speak Out, organized to represent and honor those fallen, to make a statement of their sacrifice for a War Based on Lies-that Iraq had current, viable Weapons of Mass Destruction, weapons not found before or after invasion. A silent procession carried coffins from Arlington National Cemetery to the Ellipse behind the White House. 1000 Coffins - October 2, 2004 - Flag-draped coffins lined the Reflecting Pool before the Lincoln Memorial, where names of soldiers and civilians killed were read.
Arlington West - a series of projects in coastal California drew public attention to, and open discussion on military and civilian deaths during the Iraq War. Initiated by a Santa Barbara resident, Veterans for Peace adopted the project with their mission,”...to remember the fallen and wounded, acknowledge the human cost of war, provide information about the domestic costs of a permanent war economy, encourage dialogue among people with varied points of view, and educate the public about the needs of those returning from war and to provide a place to grieve.” Each Sunday, the memorial was reinstalled on the sand next to the world-famous pier in Santa Monica, California. A public “wall” positioned on pillars, contained the name, age, rank, branch of service, unit assigned to, date and place of circumstances of death, their hometown and state. Messages and momentos were left by friends and family.
The Iraq war officially ended with U.S. troop withdrawal in 2011: U.S.: 4,424 dead; 31,952 wounded in action. (Dept of Defense) Iraq: 461,000 total deaths (Iraq Family Health Survey, June 2011) Afghanistan: 31,000 civilian deaths; 111,000 total deaths (civilians, soldiers, militants) Refugees/Displaced - 8.4 million Afghans, Pakistanis, and Iraqis are war refugees in other countries or displaced from their homes.
Economic - 4.8 trillion dollars on combined wars in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Iraq.’
“2.7 million service members have served in Iraq and Afghanistan, with many wounded or injured, and suffering from conditions ranging from brain injuries and hearing loss to drug addiction and trauma. $160.4 billion for medical care and disability benefits, and significant costs borne by Veterans and their families, who may have to give up their jobs to become caregivers, and self-employed service members who lose income.”
Watson Institute, International and Public Affairs,
Brown University, 2015
National Security - “US national security strategy may be undermining America’s immediate and long-term security...The high level of spending on war and other military preparations may not be in proportion to the threats the US faces. When coupled with the aggressive rhetoric that has characterized US foreign policy in recent years, these high levels of spending and the expanding footprint of US counterterrorist operations across the globe may be very alarming to states and peoples who would otherwise not have reason to increase their own military spending and armed forces. High levels of mobilization also pose an opportunity cost, leaving domestic priorities underfunded, and taking resources away from threats that are certain to materialize.” Watson Institute, International and Public Affairs,
Brown University, 2018
Social/Psychological Costs Profiling - “... In the U.S., numerous Muslims and people of Arab and South Asian descent have experienced government practices that amount to racial profiling and public animosity in the form of hate crimes and discrimination...the events of 9/11 have been used as pretext to dramatically expand the U.S. government’s electronic surveillance and data collection powers, including the authority to gather information on Americans who have done nothing wrong.”
Watson Institute, International and Public Affairs,
Brown University, 2018
In addition to medical injuries, unemployment and homelessness, “Many veterans experience depression, loss of purpose present, in some cases, an overwhelming family crisis.”
Ronald Hester, Internatl. Journal of
Mental Health Systems, 8/18/2017.
“The psychological costs of combat are largest for soldiers who kill someone (or believe they have killed someone), are injured in combat, or witness the death or wounding of a civilian or a coalition member. These troops are at substantially increased risk of suicide or thoughts of suicide, depression, and (PTSD).”
National Bureau of Economic Research, 2017
“Suicide rates among Army veterans, showed an increase of more than 18% from 2011 to 2014.” (Department of Defense)
“For some veterans, doing something...in violation of their moral compass, leaves emotional wounds that time refuses to heal. It radically changes them and how they deal with the world. It has a name: moral injury. Unlike the better known casualty of war, PTSD, moral injury is not yet a recognized psychiatric diagnosis, although the harm it inflicts is as bad if not worse.”
War Wounds that Time Alone Can’t Heal,
Jane Brody, New York Times, 6/6/2016
Combat soldiers put the welfare of the group above their own personal welfare and, on discharge, may experience deep loss...of brotherhood, loyalty, commitment and a sense of purpose.
“Anyone who has worked with combat veterans will tell you that Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Airwomen, Marines, Coast Guard personnel, etc., fight for the person next to them. In other words, they are a part of a herd. You eat together, sleep together, fight together, celebrate and mourn together. When people leave the military, one of the biggest losses is this sense of not being a part of the herd anymore.” Tribe, Sebastian Junger, 2016