They continue to die, 1000 so far, how much are they worth? We as a nation are 422 billion in the hole. I think each famly of the dead should get $1,000,000 tax free. Then we'd be 423 billion in the hole. Whats another billion? steve 83sd

Men and women who die for their country should not do so in order to win the lottery. Its a nice sentiment, but there is no higher duty all people who live in a democracy must perform if called upon in some way, and it is beyond money. I was not in favor of passing out millions to the 911 families either, again it was a highly motivated act by good people, but war is war.

This is as bone-headed a statement as I have ever seen. Soldiers, sailors and airmen dont do it for the money, most serve because they believe in something greater than themselves. Your premise is an insult to every person who died fighting for this country.

narwal, I am not saying you are confused, I'm saying I'm confused as to how to see that the vets chrildren get what they need to have a normal life. It costs about a million to raise a child today thru collage. Some of these guys left two or three or four children. What are they going to live on "vets benefits". That won't take them very far. We ask them to serve for our country, their famliys should be taken car of by us. Our goverment. steve 83sd

I've heard of this thing called life insurance...

Can servicemen and women obtain life insurance? Does life insurance cover overseas deployments? Is military service a disqualifying condition? Interesting question.

Unfortunately, life doesn't come with any guarantees. Sh|t happens -- it happens all the time. It's somehow comforting to think that we're assured a long and healthy life simply by virtue of birth, but it just ain't so. The loss of life in Iraq is tragic. Each loss carries it with more individual grief and unfortunate circumstance than any of us really want to know. That doesn't mean that these deaths should translate to cash.

While the exact level of exclusion will depend on the policy, typical exclusions are suicide, death while in the commission of a felony and death that occurs as a result of an act of war. Exceptions, by express language or statute can soften the exclusion to not exclude deaths due to diseases or accidents which are common to the civilian population and are not attributable to special hazards to which a person serving in such forces or units is exposed in the line of duty. It will depend on how the policy is written and the laws in effect where the policy was issued.