U.S. Troops Are Now More Likely To Die In “Peacetime” Accidents Than In Combat Or During Hostilities

The McCain's collision with the Alnic MC caused "significant damage" to the destroyer's hull, resulting in flooding in the crew berths, machinery and communications rooms. (MASS COMMUNICATION SPECIALIST 2ND CLASS JOSHUA FULTON)

Mackenzie Eaglen, RCD: America’s New Deadliest War is Hiding in Plain Sight

With hurricane relief and the debt ceiling grabbing the headlines, it will be easy to overlook today’s Congressional hearing on recent ship collisions in the Pacific Ocean. But policymakers should not.

Troops are now more likely to die in “peacetime” incidents than active hostilities or combat.

We should all be worried about that trend. Recent U.S. Navy ship collisions in the Pacific and several aircraft crashes have highlighted the tangible and tragic consequences of how “degraded military readiness” manifests. The loss of life stemming from the accidents involving the USS Fitzgerald and USS John S. McCain has led to an operational pause in the United States Navy—and for good reason. Something is wrong, and if recent history is any indication, it is likely not just one single issue that can quickly be isolated and fixed.

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WNU Editor: Being in the military has always been a dangerous occupation .... as these statistics show.