July 18,
2008: While combat casualties in Iraq
are now only about a third of what they were a year ago (based on the last
three months), there are still the same number of non-combat injuries
(everything from traffic accidents to diseases). That, and the increase of
casualties in Afghanistan (which are still not much more than those in Iraq
currently), means that the overall reduction in medical cases in Iraq and
Afghanistan is only about 30-35 percent.
This does mean
less work for the U.S. military hospitals in Germany and the United States,
which have taken care of the most serious cases (which are airlifted out as
soon as they are stabilized.) That will mean fewer reservists (with medical
skills) will be called up, and some of the medical facilities can go back to
treating military families and retirees (whose care had been turned over to
civilian hospitals as military casualties increased.)
