WASHINGTON, Dec. 18 (UPI) -- The total number of wounded U.S. soldiers and medical evacuations from the war in Iraq is nearing 11,000, according to new Pentagon data.
In response to a request from UPI, the military said it has made 8,581 medical evacuations from Operation Iraqi Freedom for non-hostile causes in addition to the 2,273 wounded -- a total of 10,854, according to the new data. The Pentagon says that 457 troops have died.
The Pentagon's casualty update as of Dec. 17 for Operation Iraqi Freedom listed on its Web site, however, does not reflect thousands of the evacuations.
Pentagon spokesman Jim Turner said the Pentagon Web site casualty update reports battle deaths and injuries.
A veterans' advocate said the Pentagon should report non-hostile incidents as casualties.
"They are considered casualties," said Bill Smith, a spokesman at Veterans of Foreign Wars.
