Skybird - I totally understand what your getting at. Lets look at current numbers just with the US.
As of 3/26/2010 at 10 AM EDT - combining the numbers in both Iraq and Afghanistan, we see the following:
Killed (13 of which were DoD civilians): 5408
Wounded (Returned to Duty): 21,096
Wounded (not Returned to Duty): 16,960
This gives a total physically wounded or killed as: 43,464
Source:
http://www.defense.gov/NEWS/casualty.pdf
Now - how many have served in the operational areas we are discussing?
"As of Jan. 31, 2005, the exact figure was 1,048,884" according to Salon.com (from pentagon sources they requested). Source:
http://dir.salon.com/story/news/feat...ers/index.html
Now that number is over 5 years old - so its fair to just double it given the various "surge" actions - and for ease of use lets just round the number down to an even 2 Million. That number is likely way too low, but it will suffice.
Now - before anyone starts salivating at the idea of claiming 500,000 "mental casualties", how many of that 2 Million number are from multiple deployments, as well as how many never see combat operations? It is not just line soldiers that are deployed - is it the supply soldiers that are there as well. Still - lets use your 25% of the original 2 Million.
That would mean your claiming a total of 543,464 casualties in some form - either mental or physical.
Now that is a tragic number - you will get no arguement out of me on that. However, that still amounts to a 27.17% total casualty rate. *Yes for those who keep score - that is a 2.17% casualty rate as it is (and always has been) calculated.
Now - my issue with you Skybird is that Happy Times said "MANY" soldiers do not suffer from PTSD or other mental problems related to war. You said that he was wrong. So how is it that 72.83% - or using the numbers above - 1,456,536 soldiers don't meet the standard of "many"?
My Dad went through 3 tours in Vietnam, 1 or 2 in Korea (never been able to pin that down) and enlisted in the Navy during WW2. He woke screaming too many times, and the experiences he shared with me in his later years (after my own combat experiences) were such that I understand both sides of this coin all too well. It was something that I worried would affect me the same way. Thankfully, that has not been the case. Men I have called friends have cried like children though, and I know the horrors that disturb their rest. I am not saying that PTSD isn't real, or trying to minimize it. I will say I think your 25% estimate is way too high, given my own knowledge. I would say closer to 10% - of those that see combat. It also has alot to do with the individual circumstances of each experience, as well as the individual in question.
I digress badly, as my point was that I while I know that this is one of many issues close to alot of people, for a number of reasons - you have to be accurate when you tell someone they are wrong. In this case, Happy Times was correct when he said that many do not suffer aftereffects. Its an emotional issue, and thus its important we always be factual when we can.