Report: 92% of Marine Casualties in Afghan War Occurred Under Obama

(CNSNews.com) -- As U.S. Marines withdraw from Operation Enduring Freedom (the Afghanistan war), CNSNews.com's database on casualties shows that 418 Marines have given their lives in the conflict and that 92% of those casualties, 385 deaths, have occurred since President Barack Obama took office in January 2009.

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In the 13 years that have passed since U.S. troops first entered Afghanistan with the aim of removing al Qaeda from its sanctuary there, 2,226 U.S. service personnel have given their lives in and around Afghanistan in support of U.S. military activities in that country. Among those, 418, or 18.8 percent, were U.S. Marines.

From January 20, 2009 to the end of 2009, 68 Marines died in Operation Enduring Freedom. The next year, 2010, accounted for most of the Marine casualties: 165 Marines lost their lives in Afghanistan that year. In 2011, 78 Marines died in Afghanistan; in 2012, 58 Marines died; in 2013, 8 Marines died; and in 2014, another 8 Marines died.

These 385 Marines who died in Afghanistan after President Obama took office equal 92.1 percent of the 418 Marines who have died in the entire thirteen-year duration of the war.

Sergeants and Specialists in the Army represent nearly half--49.6 percent--of all U.S. casualties of the Afghan War, according to CNSNews.com’s database of U.S. casualties in the war.

There have been 731 Army sergeants who have died in Operation Enduring Freedom. This includes the ranks of sergeant, staff sergeant, sergeant first class and master sergeant--and comprises 32.8 percent of the total 2,226 troops who have died in the war.

There have been 374 Army specialists who have died in Operation Enduring Freedom, which is 16.8 percent of the total casualties.

1,631 of the casualties in the Afghan War have been Army personnel, accounting for 73.3% of all U.S. casualties. After the Army, the Marines had the highest number of casualties at 418.

In the 13 years of the Afghan war, there have been 98 Navy casualties and 79 Air Force casualties, equaling a combined 8 percent of the total U.S. casualties.