For those paying attention, the 1,000 killed in Iraq was a milestone that would have been reached sooner if contractor deaths were included. At the time, the 1k number was a traumatic figure and the number of contractors killed was still quite small, while high profile.
Now the death toll for the “Coalition of the Billing”, or contractors, has broken 800. Before, 100 or 200, or even nearly 400 contractor KIA was hardly, if at all, mentioned. Now, there seems to be some awareness of the additional deaths.
See David Phinney for the current story and updates on what will likely be news in the coming days.
As a side note: FOIA requests on contractor deaths last year were denied, granting private contractors greater privacy than soldiers and their families.
When a memorial is built for the Iraq dead, I suspect that the contractors will probably not be represented.
I am an Soldier from WANG that was over in Iraq in 2005-2007 and will never forget the Contractors and everyone who helped in support of oif. i will never forget the fallen. i was with contractors that did what i was doing with out any weapons. i m sorry for those family’s that lost loved ones. i pray for family’s every day. i pray for everyone’s safe return