What’s the death rate of US soldiers in Iraq, as compared to civilians in the US? Make a guess, then read on.

My calculation is only a back-of-the-napkin kind of approximation, just to check one’s intuition. Here’s some data google found for me:

• Troop levels in Iraq – take 130000 as of 2006, a bloody year.
• Combat deaths in Iraq – take 830 as of 2006.

• US Census 2004 Death data – from page 4, take 900 per 100000 – for the overall population; adjusting it to match the age distribution of deployed soldiers is an exercise for the reader.

OK, math time: 830/130000 = 0.6% – the actual death rate for US soldiers in Iraq; 900/100000 = 0.9% – the actual death rate for US residents in the US. Unless my eyes, my sources, or my miniscule powers of interpretation are deceiving me, 0.6 < 0.9, and thus the death rate for the civilians is 50% greater. Somebody, sign me up!