Do Combat Medics Die Often. They work long days, and when they're not working they're often on call. A small percentage of combat deaths are due to a condition known as a “tension pneumothorax”—colloquially, a collapsed lung.
The wars in iraq and afghanistan have claimed the lives of 220. Ninety percent of soldier deaths in combat occur before the victims ever make it to a field hospital; Army medics are dedicated to bringing that number down.