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Thank you for experimenting with the page Killed in action on Wikipedia. Your test worked, and it has been reverted or removed. Please take a look at the welcome page to learn more about contributing to our encyclopedia. If you would like to experiment again, please use the sandbox. Deleted text replaced. A content dispute exists over the term "homicide." (Previous editor also misspelled it "homocide.") Discuss further changes on the Talk Page.

Examination

Militaries use the term killed in action (KIA) as a casualty classification. They generally use it to describe the deaths of their own forces by other hostile forces or by "friendly fire" during combat. U.S. front-line-ground-combat forces remain male only. However, U.S. naval, air, and support troops contain females, as well as other nations' forces, and militaries can consider them KIA. The U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) says the KIA (man or woman) need not have fired his weapon but has received hostile attack. KIA do not come from accidents, such as accidental vehicle crashes, terrorism, or other "non-hostile" means. These casualties occur from homicides while in combat.

Someone KIA died on the battlefield whereas someone who died of [battle] wounds (DOW) survived to reach a medical treatment facility. The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) also uses DWRIA rather than DOW for died of wounds received in action. However, historically militaries and historians have used the latter acronym. See below for various references under "Similar Terminology" and "External Links" for further information on acronyms and definitions.

Common sense indicates that the side with the most KIA loses the conflict. However, cases exist where the opposite happens. The American Civil War provides one example of where the victorious side had more KIA than the losing side. Abraham Lincoln's and the U.S. government's policy to reunite the country provided one major reason the victors had more battle dead in the American Civil War.

Likewise, a smaller force can sometimes beat a larger one; Cannae (216BC) provides a classic example. However, the idea that when you have less enemies to fight you have a greater chance to win provides one reason for a policy of maiming or killing enemy forces.

Many societies, both past and present, view those KIA as heroes. They set aside days of remembrance for their militaries and combat dead, and they build memorials and cenotaphs in honor of their fallen. The families of those who die in combat, especially their next-of-kin, sometimes receive preferential treatment such as military honors, exemption from taxes, and financial awards. National militaries also distinguish those killed in action with ceremonies and awards.

One classic speech on KIA comes from Pericles' Funeral Oration (after 490 B.C.), which appears in Thucydides' History of the Peloponnesian War in which , Pericles honors the Athenian war dead from "one of the opening battles of the Peloponnesian War." (See Washington State University's reader for the text of the classic speech.) Plato also talks about KIA in his book, The Republic. For example, he has his character Socrates ask Adeimantus rhetorically, "[W]hen a man dies gloriously in war shall we not say, in the first place, that he is of the golden race?" (Book V, Ch. 468-469) Adeimantus replying in agreement says, "To be sure." See the entire text of The Republic here courtesy MIT.

Similar Terminology

DOW (Died Of [Battle] Wounds): Is different to KIA because they survived to reach a medical treatment facility. Military historians use this term more than DWRIA. e.g. See poem "Died of Wounds" by Siegfried Sassoon or references to the term in the National Archives.

DWRIA (Died of Wounds Received in Action): Term used by NATO instead of DOW.

Other Military Terminology

WIA – (Wounded in Action)
MIA – (Missing in Action)
POW – (Prisoner of War)
AWOL – (Absent Without Official Leave)

External links

Support for U.S. KIA Families

USA KIA/DOW Family Foundation (USAKIA)

USAKIA, a nonprofit to benefit KIA and DOW families, has memorials and other events.

National Moment of Remembrance Homepage

A government bipartisan committee to honor U.S. KIA, it also wants to put the meaning back into Memorial Day.

Dictonaries

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+[[Image:Information.svg|25px]] Thank you for experimenting with {{{{{subst|}}}#if:Killed in action|the page [[:Killed in action]] on}} Wikipedia. Your test worked, and it has been [[Help:Reverting|reverted]] or removed. Please take a look at the [[Wikipedia:Introduction|welcome page]] to learn more about contributing to our encyclopedia. If you would like to experiment again, please use the [[Wikipedia:Sandbox|sandbox]]. Deleted text replaced.  A content dispute exists over the term "homicide."  (Previous editor also misspelled it "homocide.")<!-- {{uw-test1}} -->  Discuss further changes on the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk:Killed_in_action Talk Page.]
-Militaries use the term '''killed in action''' ('''KIA''') as a casualty classification.  They generally use it to describe the deaths of their own forces by other hostile forces or by "[[friendly fire]]" during combat.
+== Examination ==
+Militaries use the term '''killed in action''' ('''KIA''') as a casualty classification.  They generally use it to describe the deaths of their own forces by other hostile forces or by "[[friendly fire]]" during combat.  U.S. front-line-ground-combat forces remain male only.  However, U.S. naval, air, and support troops contain females, as well as other nations' forces, and militaries can consider them KIA.  The U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) says the KIA (man or woman) need not have fired his weapon but has received hostile attack.  KIA do not come from accidents, such as accidental vehicle crashes, terrorism, or other "non-hostile" means. These casualties occur from [[homicides]] while in combat.
+Someone '''KIA''' died on the battlefield whereas someone who '''died of [battle] wounds''' ([[DOW]]) survived to reach a medical treatment facility.  The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) also uses '''DWRIA''' rather than '''DOW''' for '''died of wounds received in action'''.  However, historically militaries and historians have used the latter acronym.  [[#Similar_Terminology|See below for various references under "Similar Terminology" and "External Links" for further information on acronyms and definitions.]]
+Common sense indicates that the side with the most KIA loses the conflict.  However, cases exist where the opposite happens.  The [[American Civil War]] provides one example of where the victorious side had more KIA than the losing side.  [[Abraham Lincoln|Abraham Lincoln's]] and the U.S. government's policy to reunite the country provided one major reason the victors had more battle dead in the American Civil War.
+Likewise, a smaller force can sometimes beat a larger one; [[Battle of Cannae|Cannae]] ([[216 BC|216BC]]) provides a classic example. However, the idea that when you have less enemies to fight you have a greater chance to win provides one reason for a policy of maiming or killing enemy forces.
+Many societies, both past and present, view those KIA as heroes. They set aside days of remembrance for their militaries and combat dead, and they build memorials and cenotaphs in honor of their fallen. The families of those who die in combat, especially their next-of-kin, sometimes receive preferential treatment such as military honors, exemption from taxes, and financial awards. National militaries also distinguish those killed in action with ceremonies and awards.
+One classic speech on KIA comes from [[Pericles|Pericles']] ''Funeral Oration'' (after 490 B.C.), which appears in [[Thucydides]]' ''[[History of the Peloponnesian War]]'' in which , Pericles honors the Athenian war dead from "one of the opening battles of the [[Peloponnesian War]]."  (See [http://www.wsu.edu:8080/~wldciv/world_civ_reader/world_civ_reader_1/pericles.html Washington State University's reader] for the text of the classic speech.)  [[Plato]] also talks about KIA in his book, [[The Republic|''The Republic'']].  For example, he has his character Socrates ask Adeimantus rhetorically, "[W]hen a man dies gloriously in war shall we not say, in the first place, that he is of the golden race?" (Book V, Ch. 468-469)  Adeimantus replying in agreement says, "To be sure."  [http://classics.mit.edu/Plato/republic.html See the entire text of ''The Republic'' here courtesy MIT.]
+== Similar Terminology ==
+[[DOW]] (Died Of [Battle] Wounds): Is different to KIA because they survived to reach a medical treatment facility.  Military historians use this term more than '''DWRIA'''.  e.g. See poem [http://www.bartleby.com/135/27.html "Died of Wounds"] by  Siegfried Sassoon or references to the term in the [http://www.archives.gov/publications/ref-info-papers/82/appendix.html National Archives].
+'''DWRIA''' (Died of Wounds Received in Action): Term used by [[NATO]] instead of '''DOW'''.
+==Other Military Terminology==
+* [[Wounded in action|WIA]] &ndash; (Wounded in Action)
+* [[Missing In Action|MIA]] &ndash; (Missing in Action)
+* [[Prisoner of war|POW]] &ndash; (Prisoner of War)
+* [[AWOL]] &ndash; (Absent Without Official Leave)
-Someone KIA died on the battlefield whereas someone who died of [battle] wounds (DOW) survived to reach a medical treatment facility.  The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) also uses DWRIA rather than DOW for died of wounds received in action.
 == External links ==
+=== Support for U.S. KIA Families ===
-* [http://usakia.org USA KIA/DOW Family Foundation (USAKIA)] - a nonprofit to benefit KIA and DOW families, has memorials and other events.
+* [http://usakia.org USA KIA/DOW Family Foundation (USAKIA)]
+USAKIA, a nonprofit to benefit KIA and DOW families, has memorials and other events.
+* [http://remember.gov National Moment of Remembrance Homepage]
+A government bipartisan committee to honor U.S. KIA, it also wants to put the meaning back into [[Memorial Day]].
+* [http://ngl.org No Greater Love]
+* [http://www.neverforgetflag.us The Armed Forces Memorial Tribute Flag]
+=== Dictonaries ===
+* [http://www.stands4.com AbbreviationZ - The A to Z of Acronyms & Abbreviations on the Net (TM)]
+* [http://www.acronymfinder.com Acronym Finder - over 500,000 definitions for acronyms and abbreviations]
+* [http://www.dtic.mil/doctrine/jel/doddict U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) Dictionary]
+* [http://acronyms.thefreedictionary.com The Free Dictionary by Farlex: "Acronym Finder allows users to decipher acronyms from a database of over 430,000 entries..."]
+* [http://www.militarywords.com Military Words - over 100,000 military and government acronyms]
+* [http://www.un.org/depts/dpko/glossary United Nations (UN) Glossary]
+* [http://www.nolo.com/definition.cfm/Term/51AB22D3-86AB-4B55-8648BC28B45909C0/alpha/H Nolo Press Source of Law on "Homicide"]
 [[Category:Military terminology]]
 [[Category:Military personnel]]
 [[de:Gefallener]]