They are not numbers but men and women who were loved

2007
83
81
81
104
126
101
78
84
65
38
37
23
In January of 2008 we lost 40.
The total is 3,945 as of today.
http://icasualties.org/oif/

This is what happened in Iraq today, at least part of it.

FACTBOX-Security developments in Iraq, Feb 4 04 Feb 2008 17:16:35 GMT
Source: Reuters
Feb 4 (Reuters) - Following are security developments in Iraq at 1700 GMT on Monday.

* denotes new or updated items.

* KHALIS - U.S. forces killed 15 militants and detained eight other suspects in an operation on Sunday to target a suspected al Qaeda meeting place northeast of Khalis, 80 km (50 miles) north of Baghdad, the U.S. military said.

* MOSUL - Gunmen killed three policemen in two separate drive-by shootings in Mosul, 390 km (240 miles) north of Baghdad, police said.

* KIRKUK - A roadside bomb aimed at a police patrol wounded two civilians in Kirkuk, 250 km (155 miles) north of Baghdad, police said.

SALMAN PAK - Iraqi and U.S. forces killed seven gunmen, wounded another one and arrested 28 suspects during air assaults targeting al Qaeda near Salman Pak, 30 km (20 miles) south of Baghdad, the U.S. military said.

BAGHDAD - A roadside bomb killed three soldiers and wounded two others when it struck their vehicle in northern Baghdad's Adhamiya district, a member of a neighbourhood police unit said. Two members of the local police unit were wounded in gunfire which broke out after the blast, he said.

ISKANDARIYA - U.S. forces killed nine Iraqi civilians, including a child, while pursuing al Qaeda fighters near Iskandariya, 40 km (25 miles) south of Baghdad, on Saturday, the U.S. military said. Another three people, including two children, were wounded.

BAQUBA - Gunmen killed the driver of a minibus and a girl in a drive by-shooting near Baquba, 65 km (40 miles) north of Baghdad, police said. The girl's brother was wounded.

BAGHDAD - One U.S. soldier was killed when a roadside bomb exploded near his vehicle east of Baghdad on Thursday, the U.S. military said.

BAGHDAD - Two people were wounded by a roadside bomb planted under their car in northwestern Baghdad's Hurriya district, police said.

BAGHDAD - Two policemen were wounded by a roadside bomb southwest of Baghdad, police said.

BAGHDAD - Gunmen killed a foreign ministry official in a drive-by shooting in western Baghdad's Mansour district, police said.
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L04234114.htm

These are not numbers but people. The men and women we sent to risk their lives in Iraq. They had families, children, friends. They had lives. In these figures we do not see the 5 active military men and women a day attempting to commit suicide or the 17 veterans a day who end up taking their own lives. We don't see the families left to grieve and wonder what they could have done differently. They cannot see that it was not their fault but our's. We didn't have anything ready to take care of any of them. We didn't get ready for the 7 who survive for every life lost by a road side bomb blast or bullet. We were not ready for the amputations returning and when it came to the soldiers coming back with PTSD, we tried to not notice them at all until we had no choice but to face the failure we are all guilty of. We didn't fight hard enough for them. What is stopping us from doing it now?

I read what the war bloggers had to say about the surge working, as if they had reason to celebrate and relax, but what they didn't notice was the fact there were dips and peaks in the attacks since the beginning. As long as the troops are still risking their lives, we do not have the luxury of not paying attention to any of this. As the days turn into years, there are more and more who will need help physically or mentally and it's up to us to take care of them when they need us.