As the country heads into the Memorial Day weekend , there are still almost 1.5 million U.S soldiers , sailors , airmen and Marines deployed in war zones or combat missions worldwide . So far , more than 6,700 U.S. servicemen and women have died in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and at least 50,000 more have been wounded . Here is a look at the numbers behind the sacrifices of American military veterans of current and past wars : . More than 8,100 -- Number of coalition troops who have died during the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq ; almost all of them -- about 6,700 -- are U.S. troops . 623 -- Number of troops from Britain who have died in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars . Britain has the second highest number of fatalities behind the United States . 175 -- Number of coalition servicewomen who have died in the Afghanistan and Iraq wars . 156 - Number of U.S. servicewomen who have died in the Afghanistan and Iraq wars . More than 50,000 -- Number of U.S. troops who have been wounded in action during the Iraq and Afghanistan wars , according to the Pentagon . At least 3,275 -- Number of coalition troops who have died in improvised explosive device ( IED ) attacks in the Afghanistan and Iraq wars . It is the leading cause of fatalities . 50 -- Countries that contributed troops to Operation Enduring Freedom through NATO/International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan and related regions . At least 36 -- Number of countries that have lost troops in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq . 3,000 -- Number of coalition force deaths since the start of the war in Afghanistan . Approx . 620,000 -- Combined troops killed during the Civil War , which lasted from 1861 to 1865 . 63 -- Percent of Union troop deaths caused by disease during the Civil War . 90 -- State and local chapters of Rolling Thunder , a national group participating since 1988 in Memorial Day weekend bike rides to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall in Washington , D.C. 6 -- Number of wreaths engraved on the sides of the Tomb of the Unknowns , in Arlington National Cemetery . Each wreath recognizes a major campaign of World War I . 58,000+ -- Names inscribed on the walls of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial , of U.S. troops who died serving in the Vietnam War . 8 -- Women 's names on the memorial . 24 -- Notes in `` Taps , '' the bugle call traditionally played at the end of a military funeral . 3 -- Number of rifle volleys fired over the grave during interment . 3,461 -- Recipients of the Medal of Honor , the highest honor for valor in action . 80 -- Living Medal of Honor recipients . 38 -- The number of statues there appear to be , including the reflections on the wall , at the Korean War Memorial , symbolizing the length of the war , 38 months , and the 38th parallel that divides North and South Korea ; 34,000 U.S. troops were killed .
More than 6,700 U.S. troops have died in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan . The United States has spent more on its military since 2001 than any other country, according to a report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. Six wreaths are engraved on the Tomb of the Unknowns , in Arlington National Cemetery .