Casualties in Iraq older than those in earlier wars

PORTLAND – At 33, Lawrence Roukey wasn’t a fresh-faced teenager out of high school sent to the battlefields of war.

When he went to Iraq as a U.S. Army Reserve soldier, Roukey had an established career with the Postal Service and a house in Westbrook where he and his wife were raising a teenager and their 2-year-old son.

In past wars, Roukey’s age and place in life would have made him an anomaly. But in the conflict in Iraq, Roukey – who was killed last Monday in Baghdad – fits the profile of American servicemen who are being killed.

With the United States relying heavily on National Guard and Reserve forces, the casualties are older than in past wars. The average age of casualties was 20 in the Vietnam War, and 22 in Korea.

But in Iraq, the average age of those who have died is 27, according to Defense Department figures. The average age of the eight servicemen with ties to Maine who have been killed is 31, with a range from 22 to 51.

The National Guard and Reserves include recruits from high school and college. But more often they are former active-duty soldiers who returned to civilian lives, started families and other careers but stayed involved with the military on a part-time basis.

“We have a wide spectrum in the National Guard of soldiers called up,” said Maj. Peter Rogers, spokesman for the Maine National Guard. “We have people … nearing their 20-year retirement. We have some that are fresh out of basic training.”

With older soldiers being killed, the impact of their deaths on families, communities and businesses is magnified back home.

“People who are in that [older] age group are a little bit more established in the community. They have jobs, more than likely own homes, they’re part of the community,” said Jerry Newberry, spokesman for the national Veterans of Foreign Wars. “It probably does have a heavier impact on the community. A young person fresh out of high school is not as established. They don’t have roots yet. ”

David Segal, director of the University of Maryland’s Center for Research on Military Organization, thinks public opinion about the war could be affected with so many older soldiers being killed.

“I think in the long run as communities realize the cost they are being asked to pay, they are going to think about ‘Is this worth it?”‘ he said. “Military families always do that. Now we’re asking communities to do that.”