10 year Anniversary of War in Afghanistan

On October 7th, 2001, the first American troops set foot on Afghan soil. Today marks the 10th year of the War in Afghanistan. At ten years, American troops have been on the ground in Afghanistan longer than US Combat operations in Vietnam or the Revolutionary War.

Here are some of the statistics from the Afghan war:

• More than 2,700 troops from the United States and its coalition partners have died during the 10 years of war in Afghanistan, according to a CNN count.
• Troops from at least 26 countries have died in action in Afghanistan, according to a CNN count.
• Of that total, at least 1,780 are U.S. servicemen and women, according to a CNN count.
• Britain has the second-highest number of fatalities with 382 killed. Canada is third with at least 157 killed.
• At least 41 servicewomen have died in Afghanistan, according to a CNN count. Of that total, 31 are U.S. servicewomen.
• More than 14,000 U.S. troops have been wounded in action, according to the Pentagon.
• Since the conflict began, the number of casualties has risen by the year, with a significant jump from 2008 to 2009. At least 296 coalition troops died in 2008. It nearly doubled in 2009 when 517 coalition troops were killed.
• The year with the highest number of fatalities thus far has been 2010, when 711 troops died.
• The worst month for fatalities was June 2010, when 103 troops died in action, according to a CNN count.
• Many of the troops killed in Afghanistan are between the ages of 19 and 29, according to a CNN analysis of the data. More 21-year-olds – 244 thus far – have died than any other age.
• Roadside bombs have killed at least 1,143 troops in Afghanistan, according to a CNN count. It is the leading cause of fatalities. Small-arms fire has killed at least 365 troops and at least 232 troops have been killed in helicopter crashes.
• The southern provinces of Helmand and Kandahar, home to some of the fiercest opposition to the presence of U.S. and coalition forces and the birthplace of the Taliban, have the highest casualty rates per province. Most of the deaths have occurred in those southern provinces and the mountainous eastern provinces that border Pakistan.